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xom-interest - Re: [XOM-interest] XOM-interest Digest, Vol 47, Issue 5

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Subject: XOM API for Processing XML with Java

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: John Cowan <cowan AT ccil.org>
  • To: Wolfgang Hoschek <wolfgang.hoschek AT mac.com>
  • Cc: xom-interest AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [XOM-interest] XOM-interest Digest, Vol 47, Issue 5
  • Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:00:38 -0500

Wolfgang Hoschek scripsit:

> With such a layered approach, the strength of security is a function
> of the length of the chain rather than it's weakest link. The
> probability of a CDATA exploit happening someday somewhere somehow is
> possibly small but it is non-zero (unless religion is involved), thus
> forbidding CDATA does reduce risk.

On this argument, forbidding attributes (which are definitely on
a completely separate code path) would raise security even more than
forbidding CDATA.

And of course nothing can be done with attributes that can't be
done with child elements.

> A conservative risk management approach doesn't forbid what's known
> to be insecure but instead allows what's known to be secure and
> forbids everything else.

Unfortunately, there is *nothing* that is actually *known* to be secure
except the aforementioned "air-gap firewall". All security can do is
lock doors until someone from the business side comes along and insists
that a particular door remain open.

--
LEAR: Dost thou call me fool, boy? John Cowan
FOOL: All thy other titles http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
thou hast given away: cowan AT ccil.org
That thou wast born with.




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