Xoxa: a lightweight approach to normalizing and signing XML

TL;DR

Xoxa introduces a simplified normalization method for XML that reduces complexity and facilitates easier cryptographic signing by ignoring non-essential distinctions, making the process more straightforward and portable.

Contribution

The paper presents a new aggressive normalization technique for XML that simplifies cryptographic signing by ignoring non-essential features, improving practicality and portability.

Findings

Simplifies XML signing process

Reduces complexity of normalization

Enables portable signature framework

Abstract

Cryptographically signing XML, and normalizing it prior to signing, are forbiddingly intricate problems in the general case. This is largely because of the complexities of the XML Information Set. We can define a more aggressive normalization, which dispenses with distinctions and features which are unimportant in a large class of cases, and thus define a straightforwardly implementable and portable signature framework.