TITLE:
XML Attacks towards Different Targeted Operating Systems
AUTHORS:
Xueying Pan, Sharon Martin
KEYWORDS:
XML Security, XML Injection, XSLT, Operating System Security
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: This paper is to study how Extensible Markup Language (XML) code injection attacks are widespread over web and cloud applications, databases, and multiple types of systems within major corporations that can be equated to system vulnerabilities. The attacks can be on the Application layer, Transport layer, or at the core of the Operating System. In this paper, we have explained a common translation tool translating web page information into other file types as XSLT can unknowingly inject malicious code into the system which could reach the code and render the system resources useless. By analyzing the specific XML elements, attributes, or structures that were found to be vulnerable to exploitation, we identify the root causes of kind of vulnerabilities including inadequate input validation and insecure XML parsing. We offer some examples of how exploitation techniques could be leveraged to manipulate XML messages or execute malicious code. From the successful exploitation of XML, we have assessed the potential impact on data integrity, confidentiality, and availability based on the sensitivity of the affected web systems or data. Illustration of attack scenarios could outline how hackers exploit the identified vulnerabilities to obtain their objectives. We discussed some mitigation strategies and defensive measures to reduce exploitation risks. We should aim at improving XML security in the design of more secure XML processing libraries, developing advanced threat detection methods, and integrating security mechanisms into XML-based standards and protocols.