Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

A web security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into websites viewed by other users

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a security vulnerability where attackers inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially stealing sensitive information or hijacking user sessions.

Attack Types

  • Reflected XSS
  • Stored XSS
  • DOM-based XSS
  • Blind XSS
  • Mutation XSS

Impact Areas

  • Data theft
  • Session hijacking
  • Cookie stealing
  • Credential theft
  • Content manipulation

Attack Vectors

  • Form inputs
  • URL parameters
  • Stored content
  • Dynamic rendering
  • Client-side code

Prevention Methods

  • Input validation
  • Output encoding
  • Content filtering
  • Security headers
  • CSP implementation

Best Practices

  • Data sanitization
  • Security testing
  • Regular updates
  • Code review
  • User education

XSS attacks remain a significant threat to web application security.