• Online, Self-Paced
Course Description

XML processing is widely used in modern web applications. This course, Web App Hacking: Hacking XML Processing, will teach you how to avoid the severe consequences of insecure XML processing. First, you'll learn how the attacker can read the content of sensitive files from the web server with an XML External Entity attack (XXE). Next, you'll discover how the attacker can steal the SecretAccessKey of the application hosted on Amazon Web Services as a result of an XXE attack. Then, you'll see how the attacker can get a discount in an online store as a result of an XPath injection. After that, you'll cover how the attacker can steal a user's password as a result of an XSS attack via XML. Finally, you'll explore how the attacker can upload an XML-based image (SVG) and steal some sensitive data from a user as a result of an XSS attack via SVG. By the end of the course, you'll know how to test web applications for various XML processing flaws and how to provide countermeasures for these problems.

Learning Objectives

  • XXE Attack
  • XPath Injection
  • XSS via XML
  • XSS via SVG

Framework Connections

The materials within this course focus on the NICE Framework Task, Knowledge, and Skill statements identified within the indicated NICE Framework component(s):

Specialty Areas

  • Vulnerability Assessment and Management

Specialty Areas have been removed from the NICE Framework. With the recent release of the new NICE Framework data, updates to courses are underway. Until this course can be updated, this historical information is provided to give better context as to how it can help you with your cybersecurity goals.