Malformed XML Scan

About

The Malformed XML scan checks how your service behaves when it gets malformed XML snippets.

Typically, attackers try to send a malformed XML to crash a vulnerable server or execute arbitrary commands. For example, the following code:

ReadyAPI: Malformed XML Example

The Malformed XML scan simulates this procedure, notifying you if the server cannot handle the malformed XML snippets correctly.

If the scan does not reveal any information about possible vulnerabilities, it passes successfully.

If the scan has Failed, that indicates your service is vulnerable to attacks based on faulty or malicious XML content.

Requirements

This scan is applicable to SOAP test steps or requests that contain XML data.

How it works

The malformed XML security scan alters the target request by inserting malformed XML snippets, leaving elements or attributes open, adding non-defined attributes, and so on.

This scan uses assertions to validate each response and check if it includes any information about potential vulnerabilities.

If a response passes all assertions, PASS will be logged for that response. If any assertion fails, FAIL will be logged.

Important

If you have not applied any assertions to the scan, Unknown will be logged for the response.

Assertions

  • Default Assertion

    Sensitive Information Exposure – Verifies that your server does not reveal any information that is useful for attacks (such as stack traces if the server crashes).

Parameters

The Malformed XML scan inserts values into the message parameters.

ReadyAPI: Configuring the malformed XML scan

Normally, parameters are extracted automatically when you create the scan. If there are no parameters present, ReadyAPI will not run the Malformed XML scan. See Parameters for more information.

Use the following options to configure the scan Strategy:

Option

Description

Select Strategy

One by One – Select to send requests one by one (may take some time).

All At Once – Select to send all requests at once.

Request Delay (ms)

Set a pause between requests during the scan in milliseconds.

Apply to Failed Test Steps

Select to run the scan even if the target test step fails.

Run only once

Select to run the scan only once for each test step, even if ReadyAPI runs that step several times for the test case.

On the Advanced panel, define the behavior for the scan.

ReadyAPI: Malformed XML scan advanced options

Option

Description

Insert new element

Add a new element to the XML content.

Element value

Put a value in a new element.

Change tag name

Modify a tag name.

Leave tag open

Allow leaving a tag open.

Insert invalid char in XML

Allow using invalid characters in XML.

Mutate attributes

Change XML attributes.

Insert invalid chars in attribute

Use invalid characters in attribute strings.

Leave attribute open

Allow leaving an attribute string open.

Add new attribute

Add a new attribute.

Attribute name

Name a new attribute.

Attribute value

Put a value in a new attribute.

See Also

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