XSS-Protection Header Security Misconfiguration Scanner
This scanner detects the use of XSS-Protection Header Security Misconfiguration in digital assets. It identifies configurations of the XSS-Protection header that are deprecated or potentially harmful, which could expose systems to Cross-Site Scripting risks.
Short Info
Level
Informational
Single Scan
Single Scan
Can be used by
Asset Owner
Estimated Time
10 seconds
Time Interval
22 days 5 hours
Scan only one
URL
Toolbox
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XSS-Protection Header is employed to protect web applications from Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. It is commonly used by web developers and security professionals to ensure browsers can adequately prevent malicious scripts from executing on web pages. However, with the advent of more robust client-side security mechanisms, its usage has become less favorable, and improper configuration can lead to unintended vulnerabilities.
The XSS-Protection Header Security Misconfiguration refers to improper settings of this header, specifically any value other than '0'. When set incorrectly, it can not only fail to protect against XSS attacks but may also open up new avenues for exploitation. This misconfiguration primarily affects web servers and applications that rely on HTTP headers for security settings.
Technical details include instances where the 'X-XSS-Protection' header has been set to values other than '0'. This indicates an attempt to enable browser-side XSS protections that are now deprecated, thereby introducing potential security issues. Vulnerabilities can be identified with HTTP requests capturing this header's presence and configuration.
Exploiting this vulnerability could allow attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of a user's browser session. This can lead to information theft, session hijacking, and other web-based attacks, seriously compromising application security.
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