XML Encryption
W3C specification for XML element encryption
XML Encryption (XML-Enc) is a specification governed by a World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommendation, that defines how to encrypt the contents of an XML element.
01Specification
Although XML Encryption can be used to encrypt any kind of data, it is nonetheless known as "XML Encryption" because an XML element (either an EncryptedData or EncryptedKey element) contains or refers to the cipher text, keying information, and algorithms.
Both XML Signature and XML Encryption use the KeyInfo element, which appears as the child of a SignedInfo, EncryptedData, or EncryptedKey element and provides information to a recipient about what keying material to use in validating a signature or decrypting encrypted data.
The KeyInfo element is optional: it can be attached in the message, or be delivered through a secure channel.
XML Encryption is different from and unrelated to Transport Layer Security (TLS), which is used to send encrypted messages (including XML content, both encrypted and otherwise) over the internet.
Jager & Somorovsky (2011) reported that this specification has severe security concerns. In response to this, the specification of XML Encryption 1.1 published in 2013 included a Galois/Counter Mode block cypher algorithm.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “XML Encryption”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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