Cross site scripting which is commonly known as XSS, is a very simple vulnerability found in Web Applications, XSS allows the attacker to RUN a malicious code on the website. Here I am sharing the complete guide to XSS cross site scripting. There are few types of XSS attacks, I will write about the major 3 of them. XSS vulnerability allows attacker to inject some code into the web apps affected in order to bypass security access to the website or to trap the user’s info and cookie stealing. This technique can be used for many purposes like cookie stealing, website hacking, user’s manipulation and many more things attacker can play with it.
COMPLETE GUIDE TO XSS CROSS SITE SCRIPTING
There are major 3 types of XSS cross site scripting, commonly named as:
- Non-persistent XSS attack
- Persistent XSS attack
- DOM-based XSS attack
NON-PERSISTENT XSS ATTACK
The non-persistent XSS are actually the most commons vulnerabilities that can be found on the internet used for hacking. It’s commonly named as “non-persistent” because it works on an immediate HTTP response from the victim website. It show up when the web page get the data provided by the attacker’s client to automatically generate a result page for the attackers himself. Standing on this the attacker could provide some malicious code and try to make the server execute it in order to obtain some result.
The most common applying of this kind of vulnerability in search box of website, the attacker writes some arbitrary HTML code in the search search box and, if the website is vulnerable, the result page will return the result of these HTML entities.
Understanding Persistent XSS Attacks
Persistent XSS vulnerabilities are similar to non-persistent XSS, as both target a victim site to steal user information. However, with persistent XSS, attackers don’t need to provide crafted URLs to users. Instead, the website itself allows users to enter fixed data into the system, such as comment boxes. These tools typically let users leave messages for the website owner and initially seem harmless.
However, if an attacker discovers a vulnerability in the system, they can insert malicious code into their message. This action makes all visitors to the site potential victims. Persistent XSS exploits systems that don’t check the content of inserted messages, simply adding user-provided data into the result page without validation.
This vulnerability can have widespread and severe consequences, affecting every visitor to the compromised site. Therefore, it is crucial for websites to implement strict content validation measures to protect their users from such attacks.
DOM-BASED XSS ATTACK
The DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting allow to an attacker to work not on a victim website but on a victim local machine: the various operative system usually includes “since born” some HTML pages created for different aims, but as long as the humans do mistakes this HTML pages often can be exploited due to code vulnerabilities.
The DOM-Based XSS exploits these problems on users local machines in this way:
– The attacker creates a well built malicious website
– The ingenious user opens that site
– The user has a vulnerable page on his machine
– The attacker’s website sends commands to the vulnerable HTML page
– The vulnerable local page execute that commands with the user’s privileges on that machine.
– The attacker easily gain control on the victim computer.
Conclusion
Understanding XSS (Cross Site Scripting) vulnerabilities is crucial for anyone involved in web development or cybersecurity. These vulnerabilities, whether non-persistent, persistent, or DOM-based, allow attackers to inject malicious code into web applications. By doing so, they can steal cookies, manipulate users, or even take control of a victim’s computer. Recognizing the different types of XSS attacks and their mechanisms helps you better protect your applications and users. Implementing robust security measures and regularly testing for vulnerabilities can significantly reduce the risk of XSS attacks. Stay vigilant and proactive to ensure your web applications remain secure against these threats.
This is the only complete guide to XSS cross site scripting. This doesn’t comply to any sort of attack demonstration. You can follow XSS hacking methods and how to hack with XSS in this article.
