CWE-91XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)

Abstraction: Base · CVEs in our corpus: 150

The product does not properly neutralize special elements that are used in XML, allowing attackers to modify the syntax, content, or commands of the XML before it is processed by an end system.

Within XML, special elements could include reserved words or characters such as "<", ">", """, and "&", which could then be used to add new data or modify XML syntax.

Last updated: 15 October 2026 20:36 UTC

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

This weakness contributes to A05:2025 Injection.

Control responseHuman-reviewed

Answering this weakness across the control lifecycle, from our framework cross-walks.

Prevent

Stop it (NIST 800-53 / CSF Protect)

PR.PS-06
SI-10 Information Input Validation

Detect

Catch it (CSF Detect / Respond)

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Harden

Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

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Validate

Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

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NIST 800-53 r5 controls PROPOSED for this weakness (0)AI-assisted

These are model PROPOSALS, not graded mappings. They come from controls_to_cwe_proposals, which carries no grade field at all; across the CWE pages 1,540 of 1,722 such associations (89%) have never been graded by anything. The heading said “address” until 2026-09-29, which asserted a relationship the data does not carry. Graded cross-walks are on the framework map, not here.

Control	Title	Family	Why it addresses this CWE
No NIST controls proposed yet.

Top CVEs of this weakness type, ranked by Risk Priority

CVE	Risk	CVSS	EPSS	Published
`CVE-2020-0646` KEV	9.9	9.8	0.9922	2020-01-14
`CVE-2023-43187`	9.3	9.8	0.4739	2023-09-27
`CVE-2023-27253`	9.1	8.8	0.8951	2023-03-17
`CVE-2023-46214`	8.3	8.0	0.8917	2023-11-16
`CVE-2024-53675`	8.3	7.3	0.8363	2024-11-26
`CVE-2019-17626`	8.2	9.8	0.1023	2019-10-16
`CVE-2019-14277`	8.1	9.8	0.0733	2019-07-26
`CVE-2015-6970`	8.0	9.8	0.0535	2020-02-18
`CVE-2019-19450`	8.0	9.8	0.0598	2023-09-20
`CVE-2019-16941`	7.9	9.8	0.0513	2019-09-28
`CVE-2013-7429`	7.7	9.8	0.0222	2017-09-14
`CVE-2020-11535`	7.7	9.8	0.0232	2020-04-15
`CVE-2020-25216`	7.7	9.8	0.0242	2020-09-17
`CVE-2020-29128`	7.7	9.8	0.0232	2020-11-26
`CVE-2024-53674`	7.7	7.3	0.4667	2024-11-26
`CVE-2013-4857`	7.6	9.8	0.0165	2019-10-25
`CVE-2019-8158`	7.6	9.8	0.0129	2019-11-06
`CVE-2021-37154`	7.6	9.8	0.0136	2021-08-25
`CVE-2021-4140`	7.6	10.0	0.0135	2022-12-22
`CVE-2024-51136`	7.5	9.8	0.0120	2024-11-04
`CVE-2014-1409`	7.4	9.1	0.0405	2020-01-08
`CVE-2020-8479`	7.4	9.4	0.0226	2020-04-29
`CVE-2018-19277`	7.3	8.8	0.0779	2018-11-14
`CVE-2026-103044`	7.3	9.8	0.0044	2026-09-29
`CVE-2021-38948`	7.2	9.1	0.0204	2021-11-02