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Cross-Origin Attacks: Types & Examples


Cross-Origin Attacks, also known as Cross-Origin Vulnerabilities, refer to a class of security threats that occur when a web application running at one origin (domain) makes requests to a different origin. The same-origin policy is a fundamental security concept in web browsers that restricts web pages from making requests to a different domain (origin) than the one that served the web page. However, there are scenarios where a web page may need to make requests to different origins, and this introduces the potential for cross-origin attacks.

There are several types of cross-origin attacks, and here are some of the most common ones:
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): CSRF attacks occur when an attacker tricks a user into performing an action on a website without their knowledge or consent. For example, an attacker could send a malicious link or embed it in an email that, when clicked by the victim, makes an unintended request to a different website, possibly changing the user's settings or making financial transactions on their behalf.
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): XSS attacks involve injecting malicious scripts into a web page that is then executed by other users' browsers. This can allow attackers to steal sensitive data, such as cookies, or perform actions on behalf of the user.
  • Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) Vulnerabilities: CORS is a security feature that enables controlled access to resources on a different domain. Misconfigured CORS policies can lead to unauthorized access and data leakage. An example could be a website allowing overly permissive CORS settings, allowing an attacker's site to make unauthorized requests and obtain sensitive data from the target site.
Here's an example of a cross-origin attack:

Imagine a popular social networking website, let's call it "SocialWeb," where users can post messages. SocialWeb has a feature that allows users to include images from external websites in their posts. An attacker crafts an image URL that, when loaded on SocialWeb, triggers a hidden action on another website, such as changing the email address associated with a user's account on that site. If a SocialWeb user views the attacker's post containing the malicious image, the action is executed on the targeted website, potentially compromising the user's account on that site.


To mitigate cross-origin attacks, web developers should implement security mechanisms like Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), input validation, output encoding, and authentication tokens. Additionally, users should be cautious about clicking on unfamiliar links or opening content from untrusted sources to protect themselves from CSRF and XSS attacks.

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