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Re: The <any/> element: bane of security or savior of versioni

• From: "bryan rasmussen" <rasmussen.bryan@g...>
• To: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>
• Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:24:47 +0200

Hi Roger,

I would suggest at the way we handled extensibility in UBL as
straddling the line between security of data and extensibility of
markup.

I would say however that it only provided a starting point for how
extensibility should really be provided in critical data formats (I'm
gonna go out on a limb here and say that people feel more comfortable
allowing any usage in something like RSS than they do in something
like an XML marked up Invoice. )

Cheers,
Bryan Rasmussen

On 10/19/07, Costello, Roger L. <costello@m...> wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> In the repertoire of XML Schemas is the <any/> element.  The <any/>
> element is used in an XML Schema to instruct an XML instance document
> author: "At this point in your document you can have any element or any
> string you desire."
>
> From a security perspective the <any/> element represents a high risk
> and should be avoided if possible.  In environments where schema
> validation is used in a guarding capacity, a schema that uses the
> <any/> element is likely to be marked as high risk or even forbidden
> from use.
>
> The solution seems clear: don't use the <any/> element.
>
> But the situation isn't so simple....
>
> Versioning XML Schemas is important.  As requirements change the schema
> must change, and you would like for the schema versions to be backward
> and forward compatible.  That is, you would like for an application
> written to an old version of the schema to be able to process XML
> instance documents written to a new version of the schema and vice
> versa.
>
> As we discussed on this list a couple months ago, the only way you can
> achieve backward and forward compatibility in XML Schemas is through
> the use of the <any/> element [1].
>
> Thus you are left with two choices:
>
> 1. Be secure and don't use the <any/> element.  Forego backward and
> forward compatibility.
>
> 2. Use the <any/> element to achieve backward and forward
> compatibility.  Forego security.
>
> This is a serious problem for my clients.
>
> There must be alternatives.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> /Roger
>
> [1] http://www.xfront.com/backward-forward-compatibility/
>
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• References:
  • The <any/> element: bane of security or savior of versioning?
    • From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>