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# File Reading with XInclude
File Reading with XInclude notes for PortSwigger Web Security Academy labs, including exploitation workflow, payload testing, Burp Suite validation, and remediation context.
### Exploiting XInclude to Retrieve Files
The lab has a **Check stock** feature that inserts the input provided by the user into a server-side XML document, then the scan. You do not control the entire XML document, so it is impossible to define a DTD for a classic XXE.
Use **XInclude** to recover the content of the **/etc/passwd** file by injecting an XInclude inclusion that will be resolved by the server-side parser.
* Settings initially sent: `productId=1&storeId=1`.
```php
productId=1&storeId=1
```
* Check: the value of `productId` is reinstated and analyzed by the server. For example `productId=test&storeId=1` is interpreted and reflected.
```
productId=test&storeId=1
```
Injection of an XInclude inclusion into `productId` to force the playback of a local file.
```xml
```
Example parameter sent:
```xml
productId=&storeId=1
```
The parser interprets the XInclude inclusion and integrates `/etc/passwd` content into the analyzed document — the value provided in `productId` is processed and the file is read.
---
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