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Software Design & Development Glossary

These days there’s an acronym for everything. Explore our software design & development glossary to find a definition for those pesky industry terms.

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Glossary
XSS

What is XSS?

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a type of security vulnerability commonly found in web applications.

It occurs when an attacker is able to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.

This can lead to the theft of sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, or the manipulation of the content displayed on the page.

Types of XSS Attacks

There are three main types of XSS attacks: stored XSS, reflected XSS, and DOM-based XSS.

Stored XSS occurs when the malicious script is stored on the server and displayed to all users who view the affected page.

Reflected XSS involves the script being reflected off the web server, such as in a URL parameter, and executed when the user visits a specific link.

DOM-based XSS exploits vulnerabilities in the Document Object Model (DOM) of the web page to execute malicious scripts.

Preventing XSS Attacks

To prevent XSS attacks, developers should sanitize user input by encoding special characters and validating data before displaying it on a web page.

Using frameworks that automatically escape output, such as React or Angular, can also help mitigate the risk of XSS vulnerabilities.

Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded, further enhancing security.

Impact of XSS Attacks

XSS attacks can have serious consequences for both users and businesses.

By exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, attackers can steal sensitive information, deface websites, or redirect users to malicious websites.

This can damage the reputation of a business, lead to financial losses, and compromise the security of user data.

Therefore, it is crucial for developers to be aware of XSS vulnerabilities and take proactive measures to protect against them.

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