Sensitive Data Exposure, listed as A03 in the OWASP Top 10 for 2017, refers to failures in protecting sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data. This often happens when data is transmitted or stored without proper encryption or when outdated protocols and weak cryptographic keys are used. XXE (XML External Entities) is a specific type of attack that exploits insecure XML parsers to access internal files or perform server-side requests. Preventing these issues requires strong encryption, secure data handling, and disabling dangerous XML features that allow external entity resolution.
