LESSON 07 / 11·2 min readIntermediate

XSS vs CSRF vs CORS?

01 Understand02 Recall03 Prepare

Understand the concept

XSS, CSRF and CORS concern browser trust but refer to different mechanisms. XSS runs attacker-controlled script in a trusted page, CSRF triggers requests with automatically attached credentials, and CORS controls whether browser code may read cross-origin responses. A defense for one does not automatically solve the others.

Important ideas

  • XSS runs unwanted script in a page; use safe rendering and sanitize required HTML.

  • CSRF abuses automatically sent credentials; protect state-changing requests with CSRF controls.

  • CORS controls browser response access; it is not an authorization system.

  • HttpOnly cookies reduce token reading by scripts, but malicious script may still act through the logged-in page.

PAUSE & RECALL

Can you explain it without the notes?

XSS vs CSRF vs CORS?

Use your own words. Explain an example and one limitation before checking the explanation.

Check your explanation

XSS, CSRF and CORS concern browser trust but refer to different mechanisms. XSS runs attacker-controlled script in a trusted page, CSRF triggers requests with automatically attached credentials, and CORS controls whether browser code may read cross-origin responses. A defense for one does not automatically solve the others.

CONNECT IT TO YOUR INTERVIEW

Turn this concept into a clear answer.

  • Explain the attacker's capability and the browser behavior being abused before naming a defense.
Practice this concept
YOUR NEXT STEP

Keep connecting the ideas.

Next lesson: How do I prevent SQL injection, NoSQL injection and SSRF?

Adapted from 08_PERFORMANCE_SECURITY.md · “XSS vs CSRF vs CORS?”. Examples are study fragments; framework behavior can depend on your version.