How does a XML Injection attack work?

It typically unfolds over 3 phases. It begins with: [Survey the Target] Using a browser or an automated tool, an adversary records all instances of user-controllable input used to contruct XML queries

How do you prevent CAPEC-250?

Strong input validation - All user-controllable input must be validated and filtered for illegal characters as well as content that can be interpreted in the context of an XML data or a query.

What weaknesses does CAPEC-250 target?

CAPEC-250 exploits 4 CWE weaknesses, including CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')), CWE-91 (XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)), CWE-707 (Improper Neutralization).

How severe is CAPEC-250?

MITRE rates CAPEC-250 as unrated severity with high likelihood of attack.

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Standard attack pattern

Draft

CAPEC-250: XML Injection

An attacker utilizes crafted XML user-controllable input to probe, attack, and inject data into the XML database, using techniques similar to SQL injection. The user-controllable input can allow for unauthorized viewing of data, bypassing authentication or the front-end application for direct XML database access, and possibly altering database information.

Last updated June 1, 2026

Not rated

Typical severity

Per MITRE

High

Likelihood of attack

Per MITRE

4

Related weaknesses

CWEs this targets

Standard

Abstraction

MITRE classification

Overview

CAPEC-250 (XML Injection) is a standard-level attack pattern catalogued by MITRE in the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC). It describes a recurring method attackers use to exploit software weaknesses.

How the attack works

The phases an attacker typically follows.

Step 1
Explore
[Survey the Target] Using a browser or an automated tool, an adversary records all instances of user-controllable input used to contruct XML queries
- Use an automated tool to record all instances of user-controllable input used to contruct XML queries.
- Use a browser to manually explore the website and analyze how the application processes inputs.
Step 2
Experiment
[Determine the Structure of Queries] Using manual or automated means, test inputs found for XML weaknesses.
- Use XML reserved characters or words, possibly with other input data to attempt to cause unexpected results and identify improper input validation.
Step 3
Exploit
[Inject Content into XML Queries] Craft malicious content containing XML expressions that is not validated by the application and is executed as part of the XML queries.
- Use the crafted input to execute unexpected queries that can disclose sensitive database information to the attacker.

What the attacker needs

Prerequisites

XML queries used to process user input and retrieve information stored in XML documents
User-controllable input not properly sanitized

Skills required

Low skill: An attacker must have knowledge of XML syntax and constructs in order to successfully leverage XML Injection

Resources required

None: No specialized resources are required to execute this type of attack.

Consequences

What a successful CAPEC-250 attack can achieve.

Gain Privileges

Affects: Confidentiality, Access Control, Authorization

Read Data

Affects: Confidentiality

How to mitigate it

Defenses that reduce the risk of CAPEC-250.

Strong input validation - All user-controllable input must be validated and filtered for illegal characters as well as content that can be interpreted in the context of an XML data or a query.
Use of custom error pages - Attackers can glean information about the nature of queries from descriptive error messages. Input validation must be coupled with customized error pages that inform about an error without disclosing information about the database or application.

How to detect it

Indicators that this attack may be underway.

Too many exceptions generated by the application as a result of malformed queries

Examples

Consider an application that uses an XML database to authenticate its users. The application retrieves the user name and password from a request and forms an XPath expression to query the database. An attacker can successfully bypass authentication and login without valid credentials through XPath Injection. This can be achieved by injecting the query to the XML database with XPath syntax that causes the authentication check to fail. Improper validation of user-controllable input and use of a non-parameterized XPath expression enable the attacker to inject an XPath expression that causes authentication bypass.

Terminology & mappings

Mapped taxonomies

WASC: XML Injection (23)

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about CAPEC-250.

What is CAPEC-250?: An attacker utilizes crafted XML user-controllable input to probe, attack, and inject data into the XML database, using techniques similar to SQL injection. The user-controllable input can allow for unauthorized viewing of data, bypassing authentication or the front-end application for direct XML database access, and possibly altering database information.
How does a XML Injection attack work?: It typically unfolds over 3 phases. It begins with: [Survey the Target] Using a browser or an automated tool, an adversary records all instances of user-controllable input used to contruct XML queries
How do you prevent CAPEC-250?: Strong input validation - All user-controllable input must be validated and filtered for illegal characters as well as content that can be interpreted in the context of an XML data or a query.
What weaknesses does CAPEC-250 target?: CAPEC-250 exploits 4 CWE weaknesses, including CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')), CWE-91 (XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)), CWE-707 (Improper Neutralization).
How severe is CAPEC-250?: MITRE rates CAPEC-250 as unrated severity with high likelihood of attack.

References

Attack-pattern data is sourced from the MITRE CAPEC catalog (v3.9). Weakness associations link to the corresponding CWE entries on RadicalNotion.AI.

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