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XML encryption

 

XML encryption is a specification that was developed by World Wide Web (WWW) Consortium (W3C) in 2002 and that contains the steps to encrypt data, the steps to decrypt encrypted data, the XML syntax to represent encrypted data, the information to be used to decrypt the data, and a list of encryption algorithms, such as triple DES, AES, and RSA.

You can apply XML encryption to an XML element, XML element content, and arbitrary data, including an XML document. For example, suppose that we need to encrypt the <CreditCard> element that is shown in example 1.

Example 1: Sample XML document 

<PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
  <Name>John Smith</Name>
  <CreditCard Limit='5,000' Currency='USD'>
    <Number>4019 2445 0277 5567</Number>
    <Issuer>Example Bank</Issuer>
    <Expiration>04/02</Expiration>
  </CreditCard>
</PaymentInfo>

Example 2: XML document with a common secret key

Example 2 shows the XML document after encryption. The <EncryptedData> element represents the encrypted <CreditCard> element. The <EncryptionMethod> element describes the applied encryption algorithm, which is triple DES in this example. The <KeyInfo> element contains the information that is needed to retrieve a decryption key, which is a <KeyName> element in this example. The <CipherValue> element contains the cipher text that is obtained by serializing and encrypting the <CreditCard> element. 

<PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
  <Name>John Smith</Name>
  <EncryptedData Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
     xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
    <EncryptionMethod
       Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
       <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
         <KeyName>John Smith</KeyName>
       </KeyInfo>
       <CipherData>
         <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
       </CipherData>
  </EncryptedData>
</PaymentInfo>

Example 3: XML document encrypted with the public key of the recipient

In example 2, it is assumed that both the sender and recipient have a common secret key. If the recipient has a public and private key pair, which is most likely the case, the <CreditCard> element can be encrypted as shown in example 3. The <EncryptedData> element is the same as the <EncryptedData> element found in Example 2. However, the <KeyInfo> element contains an <EncryptedKey> element. 

<PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
  <Name>John Smith</Name>
  <EncryptedData Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
    xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
    <EncryptionMethod
      Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
    <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
      <EncryptedKey xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod 
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#rsa-1_5'/>
        <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
          <KeyName>Sally Doe</KeyName>
        </KeyInfo>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>yMTEyOTA1M...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
      </EncryptedKey>
    </KeyInfo>
    <CipherData>
      <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
    </CipherData>
  </EncryptedData>
</PaymentInfo>

XML Encryption in the WSS-Core

The WSS-Core specification is under development by Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). The specification describes enhancements to SOAP messaging to provide quality of protection through message integrity, message confidentiality, and single message authentication. The message confidentiality is realized by encryption based on XML Encryption.

The WSS-Core specification supports encryption of any combination of body blocks, header blocks, their substructures, and attachments of a SOAP message. When you encrypt parts of a SOAP message, the specification also requires that you prepend a reference from the security header block to the encrypted parts of the message. The reference can be a clue for a recipient to identify which encrypted parts of the message to decrypt.

The XML syntax of the reference varies according to what information is encrypted and how it is encrypted. For example, suppose that the <CreditCard> element in example 4 is encrypted with either a common secret key or the public key of the recipient.

Example 4: Sample SOAP Vesion 1.1 message 

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope
  SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/'
  xmlns:SOAP-ENV='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/'>
  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
      <Name>John Smith</Name>
      <CreditCard Limit='5,000' Currency='USD'>
        <Number>4019 2445 0277 5567</Number>
        <Issuer>Example Bank</Issuer>
        <Expiration>04/02</Expiration>
      </CreditCard>
    </PaymentInfo>
  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

The resulting SOAP messages are shown in Examples 5 and 6. In these example, the <ReferenceList> and <EncryptedKey> elements are used as references, respectively.

Example 5: SOAP V1.1 message encrypted with a common secret key 

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope 
   xmlns:SOAP-ENV='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/'>
  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
    <Security SOAP-ENV:mustUnderstand='1'
      xmlns='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2003/06/secext'>
      <ReferenceList xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <DataReference URI='#ed1'/>
      </ReferenceList>
    </Security>
  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
      <Name>John Smith</Name>
      <EncryptedData Id='ed1'
        Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
        xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
        <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
          <KeyName>John Smith</KeyName>
        </KeyInfo>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
      </EncryptedData>
    </PaymentInfo>
  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>



<SOAP-ENV:Envelope 
   xmlns:SOAP-ENV='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/'>
  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
    <Security SOAP-ENV:mustUnderstand='1'
      xmlns='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2003/06/secext'>
      <ReferenceList xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <DataReference URI='#ed1'/>
      </ReferenceList>
    </Security>
  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
      <Name>John Smith</Name>
      <EncryptedData Id='ed1'
        Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
        xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
        <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
          <KeyName>John Smith</KeyName>
        </KeyInfo>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
      </EncryptedData>
    </PaymentInfo>
  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Example 6: SOAP message encrypted with the public key of the recipient 

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope
  SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/'
  xmlns:SOAP-ENV='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/'>
  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
    <Security SOAP-ENV:mustUnderstand='1'
      xmlns='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2003/06/secext'>
      <EncryptedKey xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod 
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#rsa-1_5'/>
        <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
          <KeyName>Sally Doe</KeyName>
        </KeyInfo>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>yMTEyOTA1M...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
        <ReferenceList>
          <DataReference URI='#ed1'/>
        </ReferenceList>
      </EncryptedKey>
    </Security>
  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
      <Name>John Smith</Name>
      <EncryptedData Id='ed1'
        Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
        xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
      </EncryptedData>
    </PaymentInfo>
  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

SOAP V1.2 does not support encodingStyle and the example changes to the following: 

<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/'>
  <SOAP-ENV:Header>
    <Security SOAP-ENV:mustUnderstand='1'
      xmlns='http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2003/06/secext'>
      <EncryptedKey xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod 
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#rsa-1_5'/>
        <KeyInfo xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#'>
          <KeyName>Sally Doe</KeyName>
        </KeyInfo>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>yMTEyOTA1M...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
        <ReferenceList>
          <DataReference URI='#ed1'/>
        </ReferenceList>
      </EncryptedKey>
    </Security>
  </SOAP-ENV:Header>
  <SOAP-ENV:Body>
    <PaymentInfo xmlns='http://example.org/paymentv2'>
      <Name>John Smith</Name>
      <EncryptedData Id='ed1'
        Type='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element'
        xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#'>
        <EncryptionMethod
          Algorithm='http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc'/>
        <CipherData>
          <CipherValue>ydUNqHkMrD...</CipherValue>
        </CipherData>
      </EncryptedData>
    </PaymentInfo>
  </SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

Relationship to digital signature

The WSS-Core specification also provides message integrity, which is realized by a digital signature that is based on the XML-Signature specification.

A combination of encryption and digital signature over common data introduces cryptographic vulnerabilities.

 

Related concepts


Web services security provides message integrity, confidentiality, and authentication

 

Related information


Web Services Security: SOAP Message Security 1.1 4 (WS-Security 2004) OASIS Standard Specification, 1 February 2006