Work

Extending X-Road with metaservice code validation: A security-oriented contribution

Year: 2025

Type: software-paper

Abstract: X-Road is a secure data exchange platform widely used in e-Government infrastructures. A vulnerability was identified in its service registration mechanism, where users could inadvertently or maliciously use reserved codes intended for internal metaservices. This paper presents a software contribution that extends X-Road with a validation mechanism to prevent such misuse. Implemented as part of the GAUCHO, a e-Government cybersersecurity framework, this enhancement improves system integrity, prevents conflicts, and strengthens overall cybersecurity. The solution is integrated into the X-Road source code, follows its architectural conventions, and has been proposed to the upstream repository through a formal Pull Request.

Source: SoftwareX

DOI: 10.1016/j.softx.2025.102320

Authors: Victor Figueroa, Antonio Santos-Olmo, Luis Enrique Sánchez Crespo, David G. Rosado, Eduardo Fernández-Medina

Institution: University of Castilla-La Mancha

Language: English

Topic: E-Government and Public Services

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200