defusedxml
XML bomb protection for Python stdlib modules
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Defusedxml is a straightforward, zero-dependency security fix for a well-known class of XML parsing attacks. Install it if your application parses any XML from untrusted sources. The dormant maintenance status is not a concern; the vulnerabilities it addresses are decades old and stable. No known CVEs are recorded against it.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Maintenance is dormant—last release was in March 2021 and last commit in September 2024—but the package is marked Production/Stable and has been stable since its 2013 release, suggesting the attack vectors it addresses are well-understood and unlikely to require frequent updates.
License · maintenance · safety
PSFL (permissive) — Licensed under the Python Software Foundation License (PSFL), a permissive license. No restrictions on commercial or private use; you may modify and redistribute under the same terms.
last release 2021-03-08 (1985 days) · last repo commit 2024-09-03 · 550 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 241,198,654 downloads/mo, #163 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import defusedxml.ElementTree as ET
# Parse XML safely
tree = ET.parse('file.xml')
root = tree.getroot()- Whether defusedxml's protections remain effective against newly discovered XML parsing vulnerabilities not documented in the 2021 release.
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.9 (classifiers list only up to 3.9; current support unclear).
What it is and what it does
Defusedxml is a security-hardened wrapper around Python's standard XML parsing libraries (ElementTree, minidom, SAX, pulldom, and xmlrpc). It addresses a family of XML parsing vulnerabilities—billion laughs attacks, quadratic blowup entity expansion, external entity expansion (both remote and local file), and DTD retrieval—by disabling dangerous features like entity expansion and external entity resolution that are enabled by default in the standard library but rarely needed in practice.
The package provides drop-in replacements for the standard library modules. It has no runtime dependencies and installs cleanly. Maintenance is dormant but the underlying attack vectors are well-established and unlikely to change, making the package suitable for applications that parse untrusted XML and need straightforward protection without external dependencies.
Use it for
- Parse XML from untrusted sources (user uploads, external APIs) without risking memory exhaustion or CPU DoS from entity expansion bombs.
- Harden applications using Python's standard XML libraries by swapping imports to defusedxml equivalents.
- Protect XML-RPC services from gzip bomb and entity expansion attacks without rewriting the service layer.
- Safely process SOAP or other XML-based protocols where the input is not fully under your control.
- Meet security compliance requirements for XML parsing in applications handling sensitive data.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Defusedxml is a straightforward, zero-dependency security fix for a well-known class of XML parsing attacks. Install it if your application parses any XML from untrusted sources. The dormant maintenance status is not a concern; the vulnerabilities it addresses are decades old and stable. No known CVEs are recorded against it.
Install
defusedxml on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last release was in March 2021 and last commit in September 2024—but the package is marked Production/Stable and has been stable since its 2013 release, suggesting the attack vectors it addresses are well-understood and unlikely to require frequent updates.
License in practice
Licensed under the Python Software Foundation License (PSFL), a permissive license. No restrictions on commercial or private use; you may modify and redistribute under the same terms.
Quickstart
import defusedxml.ElementTree as ET
# Parse XML safely
tree = ET.parse('file.xml')
root = tree.getroot()Verify before relying
- Whether defusedxml's protections remain effective against newly discovered XML parsing vulnerabilities not documented in the 2021 release.
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.9 (classifiers list only up to 3.9; current support unclear).
Package facts
| License | PSFL permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=2.7, !=3.0.*, !=3.1.*, !=3.2.*, !=3.3.*, !=3.4.* |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,985 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 241,198,654 / month, #163 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: Python Software Foundation LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Text Processing :: Markup :: XML |
Evidence: defusedxml-0.7.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also types-defusedxml · djangorestframework-xml · tree-sitter-xml · xacro · xsdata · meld3 · xmlunittest · et-xmlfile · xmldiff