Vulnerability Deep Dive

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Types, Impact, and Modern Defense Strategies

8 min read

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a type of injection attack where malicious scripts are injected into otherwise trusted websites. XSS attacks occur when an attacker uses a web application to send malicious code, generally in the form of a browser-side script, to a different end user.

Types of XSS: - Reflected XSS: The malicious script comes from the current HTTP request - Stored XSS: The malicious script comes from the website's database - DOM-based XSS: The vulnerability exists in client-side code rather than server-side code

Real-World Impact: - Session hijacking and cookie theft - Keylogging and credential harvesting - Defacement and phishing attacks - Malware distribution

Modern Defense Strategies: 1. Content Security Policy (CSP) headers 2. Output encoding and escaping 3. Input validation and sanitization 4. HTTPOnly and Secure cookie flags 5. Regular automated scanning with Hackator

Hackator detects all three types of XSS vulnerabilities and provides specific code-level remediation guidance. Protect your users today.

XSS Cross-Site Scripting Web Security CSP

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