VNX-112 – Missing XML Validation

Overview

VNX-112 maps to CWE-112: Missing XML Validation. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-112 (Missing XML Validation). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: High | CWE: CWE-112 | Languages: java, node, python

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Missing XML Validation) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-112 and surfaces them for review. Each finding should be evaluated in context — the rule catches the pattern, not the context.

What Gets Flagged

// FLAGGED: contains 'DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance(' pattern
DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance(

// FLAGGED: contains 'xml.etree.ElementTree.parse(' pattern
xml.etree.ElementTree.parse(

// FLAGGED: contains 'xml2js.parseString(' pattern
xml2js.parseString(

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-112 or a false positive.
  2. Replace the flagged construct with a documented safe alternative appropriate to your language and framework.
  3. For confirmed false positives, add a # vulnetix-ignore: VNX-112 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References