XSRF Protection

Simple Definition for Beginners:

XSRF protection refers to measures taken to prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF) attacks. These measures include using tokens, such as Anti-CSRF tokens, to validate and authenticate requests originating from trusted sources.

Common Use Example:

A web application uses XSRF protection by generating unique tokens for each user session. When a user submits a form or performs an action, the application checks the token to ensure the request is valid and not forged.

Technical Definition for Professionals:

XSRF protection involves implementing strategies to prevent malicious actors from executing unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. Key aspects of XSRF protection include:

• Anti-CSRF Tokens: Generating and including unique tokens in forms or requests to validate the authenticity of requests.
• Same-Origin Policy (SOP): Enforcing restrictions on web browsers to prevent scripts from making cross-origin requests.
• HTTP Referer Header: Checking the HTTP Referer header to verify that requests originate from trusted sources.
• Double Submit Cookies: Using cookies to store a token value that is also submitted as a hidden field in forms, verifying the request’s authenticity.
• Secure Headers: Implementing secure headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP) and X-Content-Type-Options to enhance security and prevent attacks.