CVE-2021-32796: Vulnerability in xmldom package - Misinterpretation of malicious XML input
Summary
CVE-2021-32796: Misinterpretation of malicious XML input. Affects xmldom versions < 0.6.0. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- node-xmldom · Debian:11
The same CVE-2021-32796 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
The xmldom package is an open-source library for parsing and manipulating XML documents in JavaScript. It provides a DOM-like interface for working with XML data. The package is widely used in various applications and frameworks that require XML processing. However, versions 0.6.0 and older of xmldom are vulnerable to a misinterpretation of malicious XML input. This vulnerability can lead to unexpected syntactic changes during XML processing, potentially affecting downstream applications that rely on the correct serialization of XML elements.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in xmldom arises from the incorrect escaping of special characters when serializing elements removed from their ancestor. This can result in unexpected changes to the XML syntax during processing. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious XML input that triggers the misinterpretation. The impact of this vulnerability can vary depending on the downstream applications that process the manipulated XML. It may lead to syntactic errors, data corruption, or other unexpected behavior. The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score for this vulnerability is 6.5, indicating a moderate severity level.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
If updating the xmldom package is not immediately feasible, a workaround is to validate the input and reject any maliciously crafted XML documents. Downstream applications can implement input validation mechanisms to ensure that the XML input meets the expected format and does not contain any potentially harmful elements.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in the xmldom package can result in unexpected syntactic changes during XML processing, potentially affecting downstream applications. It is recommended to update the package to version 0.7.0 or newer to mitigate this vulnerability. If immediate update is not possible, implementing input validation mechanisms can help mitigate the risk. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
xmldom is an open-source JavaScript library for parsing and manipulating XML documents. It provides a DOM-like interface for working with XML data in JavaScript applications.
Versions 0.6.0 and older of xmldom are affected by this vulnerability. It is recommended to update to version 0.7.0 or newer to mitigate the issue.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious XML input that triggers the misinterpretation of special characters during serialization. This can lead to unexpected syntactic changes during XML processing, potentially causing errors or data corruption.
The impact of this vulnerability can vary depending on the downstream applications that process the manipulated XML. It may lead to syntactic errors, data corruption, or other unexpected behavior.
To fix this vulnerability, update the xmldom package to version 0.7.0 or newer. Run the command 'npm install xmldom@^0.7.0' in your project directory to update the package.
References
Related vulnerabilities
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