Version 5.0 (Archived)

This page provides information about the version 5.0 of the OVAL Language. All information about the version is included in this centralized location.

Downloads

Includes downloads for the Version 5.0 Definition Schema, System Characteristics Schema, Results Schema, Element Dictionaries, and OVAL Interpreter.

KEY
Complete Schema - has all documentation embedded and the Schematron mark-up.
Minimal Schema - includes the raw xml schema only.
Schematron - a schema that can provide additional validation of OVAL V5 documents.
Documentation pdf - includes element dictionaries, etc., which users can elect to view in a browser or save.
All files zip - all files zipped together to allow for one simple download.
xsd - a user can either right click to download the file or left click to open the file in their default viewer.

OVAL Definition Schema Downloads

File Name Complete Schema Minimal Schema Documentation Schematron
All Files zip zip zip zip
Core xsd xsd pdf -
Common xsd xsd pdf -
Independent xsd xsd pdf -
Cisco IOS xsd xsd pdf -
HP-UX xsd xsd pdf -
UNIX xsd xsd pdf -
Linux xsd xsd pdf -
Apple Macintosh xsd xsd pdf -
Sun Solaris xsd xsd pdf -
Microsoft Windows xsd xsd pdf -
Apache xsd xsd pdf -
 

OVAL System Characteristics Schema Downloads

File Name Complete Schema Minimal Schema Documentation Schematron
All Files zip zip zip zip
Core xsd xsd pdf -
Common xsd xsd pdf -
Independent xsd xsd pdf -
Cisco IOS xsd xsd pdf -
HP-UX xsd xsd pdf -
UNIX xsd xsd pdf -
Linux xsd xsd pdf -
Apple Macintosh xsd xsd pdf -
Sun Solaris xsd xsd pdf -
Microsoft Windows xsd xsd pdf -
Apache xsd xsd pdf -
 

OVAL Results Schema Downloads

File Name Complete Schema Minimal Schema Documentation Schematron
All Files zip zip zip zip
Core xsd xsd pdf -
Common xsd xsd pdf -

Interpreter Downloads

See Download the OVAL Interpreter to download the OVAL Interpreter, Interpreter Source Code, and Data Files. Terms are per the Berkeley Software Distribution License (BSD).

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New in Version 5

Version 5 of the Official OVAL Schema is a direct result of feedback from the OVAL community. The goal of Version 5 is to provide a more flexible language and allow complex objects to be defined and tested against. This is a major version change and will result in a complete rewrite of certain parts of the schema. The changes pending to the OVAL Definition Schema, OVAL System Characteristics Schema, or OVAL Results Schema are outlined below. Refer to the OVAL Language Releases page for all currently available schemas.

An overview of changes for the Version 5 Definition Schema, System Characteristics Schema, and Results Schema are outlined below.

Version 5 of the OVAL Schema will include the following:

  • addition of a runlevel test for UNIX
  • addition of a schema for Apache
  • use of Schematron to perform validation beyond schema validation
  • only allow new urn id format
  • addition of title metadata
  • new reference metadata structure that includes URL
  • modified timestamp format to use built in XML type
  • removed the status metadata
  • removed the dates metadata
  • addition of xsd:any tag in metadata to allow organization-specific information not found in OVAL
  • removal of the software and configuration sections of the criteria
  • allow nested logic inside a definition criteria
  • new object/state format broken out from the tests
  • removed the component datatype
  • new local variable format
  • completely new results format allowing results from multiple systems
  • addition of directives in results schema to control content
  • split the path element into path and filename elements in tests
  • changed the windows file version from a complex type with <major>, <minor>, <build>, <private> child elements to a delimited version string
  • addition of a level attribute to the message element in the System Characteristic Schema
  • new deprecation method
  • new family test part of the independent schema
  • addition of a common core schema that is used by the Definition, System Characteristic, and Results schema as it defines common types
  • addition of a var_check attribute to the base entity
  • creation of a filemd5 test

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Timeline for Version 5

PLANNING DRAFT RELEASE CANDIDATE OFFICIAL
4 May 2005 21 October 2005 16 March 2006 16 June 2006
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Status Reports on Version 5

Status updates are included below. You may also review the Community Forum Archives for discussions about Version 5, or enter "Version 5" as a keyword search on the OVAL homepage for a list of forum discussions about the new version.

[2006-05-25]

A third release candidate is now available. Changes to the schema include improved documentation to make clear how pieces of the language should be interpreted. Changes that affect validation of content include a slight modification to the id format in order to allow numbers (in addition to the previously allowed letters) in the unique string portion; a change to the Solaris patch_test where the base and version entities were switched from strings to ints (this was an oversight in the schemas and we are correcting the mistake); and the inetd_test (UNIX schema) and the inetlisteningservers_test (Linux schema) where the object and state entities were modified to reflect an issue brought to our attention in which both tests used a name entity as the object, but the name was not a unique value. See the updated schema files below for the new implementation.

[2006-05-04]

A second beta version of the reference OVAL Interpreter for the Version 5.0 Release Candidates that adds support for Red Hat Linux is now available. Specifically, this second beta adds support for the following: RC2 of the Version 5 OVAL Schemas; Linux data collection for two objects, rpminfo_object and inetlisteningservers_object; data collection for three objects: file_object, process_object, and uname_object; Windows data collection for the wmi_object; stubs for future Sun Solaris implementation; and restructuring of the source tree to better mirror the OVAL Schema.

[2006-04-27]

The sample Data Files for the Version 5.0 OVAL Schema Release Candidates have been updated. These samples may be used with the beta version of the Version 5.0 reference OVAL Interpreter and should also be reviewed and tested by vendors as part of their migration to the new version of OVAL scheduled for release on June 16, 2006. The V5 Data File updates include the addition of three new sample files: all Windows definitions in the Definitions Repository converted to V5; all Red Hat Linux definitions in the Definitions Repository converted to V5; and a set of Solaris definitions converted to V5.

[2006-04-06]

A second Release Candidate (RC) of Version 5 is now available that incorporates the common Linux schema that was discussed on the Developer List. You will notice that the Red Hat and Debian schemas have disappeared since those tests have been moved to the Linux and UNIX schemas. No changes have been made to the actual tests, they have just changed namespaces. More specifically, the inetd_test, password_test, and shadow_test can be found in the UNIX schema, while the dpkginfo_test, inetlisteningserver_test, and rpminfo_test can be found in the Linux schema.

In addition, three other small changes have been made. A runlevel_test has been added to the UNIX schema to test for runlevel properties of UNIX services. A recurse_file_system behavior has been added to the UNIX file_test to guide data collection related to local and remote mounted file systems. And the <filename> entity of the fileauditedpermissions_test and the fileeffectiverights_test allows nillable to be set in order to specify a directory.

[2006-03-16]

The first Release Candidate (RC) for the Version 5.0 OVAL Schemas is now available. Vendors should begin their migration to this new version in preparation for its release on June 16, 2006.

RC1 contains the Schematron code used to perform stylesheet validation. It also adds Apache to the list of supported operating systems and applications.

[2006-03-16]

A beta version of the reference OVAL Interpreter for the Version 5.0 OVAL Schema Release Candidate is available for download for Windows. This release supports all of the most commonly used OVAL tests for Windows in addition to several other tests defined in the Independent Schema. Support for additional Windows tests will be provided at a later date. The next release of the OVAL Interpreter will include support for Red Hat and any bug fixes that are needed.

Sample data files that include a partial sample of the definitions and schemas for Version 5.0 are also available for use with the Interpreter release candidate.

[2006-02-02]

Draft 6 for Version 5 of the OVAL Schema cleans up the variable section by modifying the look of local variables. Added to the mix is a more uniform way of performing basic functions like concat and substring. This allows more control over how a definition writer can expresses the exact values needed.

Also in this draft was the split of the EntityBaseType into two separate types, one for Objects and one for States. The reason for this change was to enforce the fact that the entity_check attribute should only be available to entity states.

[2006-01-20]

A fifth draft for Version 5.0 has been released. This draft contains a re-worked variable structure that has a new format for local and external variables. The variable work includes the addition of a var_check attribute to the base entity type facilitating the use multiple values for variables. The var_check attribute also means that unbounded entities with OVAL States are no longer appropriate and have been reduced to a max occurs of 1.

In addition, a set now requires at least one obj_ref or child set element, but is limited to a max of 2 obj_ref or child set elements. This change was made to clear up confusion over how to perform the set operations against more than 2 sets.

The fifth draft also moved the md5 entity out of the file test and placed it in a separate filemd5_test under the independent schema. The reason for this being that calculating the md5 can take a substantial amount of processing time and is not normally needed as part of the file attributes.

[2005-12-16]

The forth draft for Version 5.0 includes updated HP-UX, Debian Linux, and Cisco IOS component schemas. In addition, it introduces a common core schema that defines shared types used by the Definition, System Characteristics, and Results schemas. Other changes include the elimination of the extended_only attribute, the addition of an environment variable test and a family test, and the removal of object references from inside object declarations.

The variable structure has also been updated with the removal of the source attribute and the creation of three different variable types: local_variable, external_variable, and constant_variable. These changes have not affected the functionality of variables, just the structure.

In addition, deprecation of OVAL definitions has been modified with the removal of the "Deprecation" class and the addition of a deprecated attribute for the each of the major core elements.

[2005-12-02]

The third draft for Version 5 of the OVAL schema has been released. It includes updated MacOS and Solaris schemas. In addition to the new component schemas, a negate attribute has been added to the criteria element. This functionality existed in version 4 by negating compound_tests. The value of variables used in collecting system characteristic data was also added through a variable_value element. This enables tools to determine the instance of an item to use during analysis.

[2005-11-17]

A second draft for Version 5.0 has been released. This draft contains the full set of schemas pertaining to Red Hat Linux and Microsoft Windows operating systems, as well as the core and independent schemas. Of note is the improved OVAL System Characteristics format that incorporates a mapping from objects to items. This mapping is a break from Version 4 ideology that tried to isolate a System Characteristic document from a Definition document.

In addition, a new way of encoding the effective rights tests has been incorporated. Notice that these tests simply combine existing registry and sid objects. See the provided examples for a look at the implementation.

Additional draft component schemas for Solaris, Debian, HP-UX, MacOS, and IOS will be available shortly.

[2005-10-21]

The first draft for Version 5.0 has now been released. Currently this initial draft release only contains the schema files that have been completed. Additional files will be added as they are completed. Version 5.0 will progress through a number of drafts as MITRE continues to hammer out the details. Please send any comments about the Version 5.0 draft to the OVAL Community Forum.

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Page Last Updated: January 18, 2011