Exploiting XSS Vulnerabilities: A Practical Guide
Exploiting XSS Vulnerabilities: A Practical Guide Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a common web vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts into webpages viewed by other users. This guide will walk you through identifying and exploiting an XSS vulnerability in a practical scenario. Step 1: Identify Potential Injection Points XSS vulnerabilities typically occur in areas where user input is reflected back on a webpage. These areas include: - Search bars - Comment sections - URL parameters - Form inputs Example Scenario: Consider a simple search function on a website that takes user input and displays it without proper sanitization. Step 2: Test for Reflected XSS 1. Basic Test: Begin by entering a basic payload like `<script>alert('XSS')</script>` in the search bar. If the alert pops up when the page reloads, the input is likely vulnerable to reflected XSS. 2. Example URL: ``` https://example....