---
title: XML parsing vulnerable to XXE for XPath
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Static Code Analysis (SAST) > SAST
  Rules > XML parsing vulnerable to XXE for XPath
---

# XML parsing vulnerable to XXE for XPath

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{% alert level="danger" %}
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## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**ID:** `java-security/xml-parsing-xxe-xpath`

**Language:** Java

**Severity:** Warning

**Category:** Security

**CWE**: [611](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html)

## Description{% #description %}

Your code may be vulnerable XML if you process XML from an untrusted source.

Make sure to enable secure processing when you process XML data by setting `XMLConstants.FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING` to true.

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [XML parsing vulnerable to XXE (XPathExpression)](https://find-sec-bugs.github.io/bugs.htm#XXE_XPATH)
- [CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html)

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```java
class MyClass {

    public void test() {
        DocumentBuilderFactory df = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
        DocumentBuilder builder = df.newDocumentBuilder();

        DocumentBuilder db2 = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder();
    }
    
}
```

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```java
class MyClass {

    public void test() {
        DocumentBuilderFactory df = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
        df.setFeature(XMLConstants.FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING, true);
        DocumentBuilder builder = df.newDocumentBuilder();
    }
    
}
```
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