xmldom is a pure JavaScript W3C standard-based (XML DOM Level 2 Core) DOMParser and XMLSerializer module. Prior to @xmldom/xmldom versions 0.8.15 and 0.9.12, and in xmldom version 0.6.0 and earlier, DOMParser.parseFromString() can silently accept an end tag such as , close the element, and discard the trailing content. On 0.9.x, the lib/sax.js end-tag validator inherits the multiline flag from reg(), allowing the first line to satisfy the anchored XML ETag production; older lines have no equivalent residue validation. This parser differential can bypass a parse-before-trust well-formedness gate, although it does not inject the discarded content; onError on 0.9.x and errorHandler on 0.8.x are the relevant reporting interfaces. This issue is fixed in @xmldom/xmldom versions 0.8.15 and 0.9.12; no fixed version is available for xmldom.
Weakness
The product receives input that is expected to be well-formed - i.e., to comply with a certain syntax - but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input complies with the syntax.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node-xmldom | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Extended Description
Often, complex inputs are expected to follow a particular syntax, which is either assumed by the input itself, or declared within metadata such as headers. The syntax could be for data exchange formats, markup languages, or even programming languages. When untrusted input is not properly validated for the expected syntax, attackers could cause parsing failures, trigger unexpected errors, or expose latent vulnerabilities that might not be directly exploitable if the input had conformed to the syntax.
Potential Mitigations
- Assume all input is malicious. Use an “accept known good” input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
- When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, “boat” may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as “red” or “blue.”
- Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code’s environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
Related Attack Patterns
References
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/commit/4430189660b0d380ee9c9ee7550a1358688e8828
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/commit/7b2ec67e1750daadd0bb06c92e875e726544a362
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/pull/1071
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/pull/1072
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/releases/tag/0.8.15
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/releases/tag/0.9.12
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/security/advisories/GHSA-6h8r-xr42-gp59
- https://github.com/xmldom/xmldom/security/advisories/GHSA-6h8r-xr42-gp59