XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) and CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing)

Both are security mechanisms, but they address different types of security concerns in web applications. MDN’s guides to cross-site scripting and CORS cover each in depth, and below is how XSS vs CORS compares.

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting):

XSS is a vulnerability that occurs when an attacker injects malicious scripts into a web page viewed by other users. These scripts can then be executed in the context of the victim’s browser, potentially leading to the theft of sensitive information or the manipulation of web content.

Types of XSS:

1. Stored XSS: The malicious script is permanently stored on a website’s server and served to users when they visit a particular page.
2. Reflected XSS: The malicious script is embedded in a URL and executed when the victim clicks on a malicious link.
3. DOM-based XSS: The vulnerability arises within the Document Object Model (DOM) of a web page, often as a result of manipulating JavaScript code that interacts with the DOM.

Prevention of XSS:

1. Input Validation and Sanitization: Validate and sanitize user inputs to ensure they do not contain malicious scripts.
2. Content Security Policy (CSP): Implement CSP headers to restrict the sources... premium content.