Protect Your Website Against Cross-Site Scripting Attacks: Best Practices for Security

What is Cross-site scripting?

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of cyber attack in which attackers inject malicious code into a website with the intent to steal information or perform other malicious activities. The attack occurs when a user visits a website that has been compromised by the attacker. The malicious code is then executed in the user’s browser, exposing their sensitive information to the attacker.

There are three main types of Cross-site scripting attacks: reflected, stored, and DOM-based. Reflected XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is reflected back to the user. Stored XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is stored on the website’s server and executed when a user visits the affected web page. DOM-based XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is executed in the Document Object Model (DOM) of the website.

Types of Cross-site scripting attacks

As mentioned earlier, there are three main types of Cross-site scripting attacks: reflected, stored, and DOM-based. Reflected XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is reflected back to the user in the website’s response. The attacker sends a link to the user, and when the user clicks on it, the malicious code is executed in their browser.

Stored XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is stored on the website’s server and executed when a user visits the affected web page. This type of attack is more dangerous than reflected XSS because the malicious code is executed every time a user visits the web page, and the attacker can steal sensitive information.

DOM-based XSS attacks occur when the malicious code is executed in the Document Object Model (DOM) of the website. This type of attack is more difficult to detect and prevent because it does not involve the server. Instead, the attacker injects the malicious code into the DOM of the web page, and the code is executed when the user interacts with the web page.

Impacts of Cross-site scripting attacks

Cross-site scripting attacks can have severe impacts on both users and website owners. For users, the impact can…