Are trusted websites immune to XSS attacks?

This article is written to show you if trusted websites are immune to XSS attacks. In this way, you will first need to understand trusted websites and learn the meaning of this and their aims.

What is an XSS attack?

XSS stands for Cross-Site Scripting; it is called by this name to not be mistaken for CSS because CSS is an abbreviation of another word. XSS vulnerabilities are a type of website security vulnerability commonly found in web applications. this allow attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Hackers could use a site-level script vulnerability to circumvent access controls.

XSS on websites is approximately 84% of all security vulnerabilities registered by Symantec from 2007. In 2017, this were still considered a major threat vector. The effects of XSS are significant, ranging from minor inconveniences to security risks, depending on the sensitivity of the information provided by the vulnerable site and the nature of any security reductions made by the site owner's network.

The attacker uses XSS to send malicious scripts to the victim. The end-user browser has no way to detect the insecurity of the script and will run it. This is because the browser assumes that the scripts come from a trusted source and allows the malicious script to access all the data that the browser can access for a site. This sensitive information includes cookies, tokens related to a meeting, etc. These scripts can even rewrite the content of an HTML page.

Types of its attacks

There are three main types of this. These are:

- Reflected XSS: where the malicious script originates from the current HTTP request.

Reflected attacks are the simplest type of scripting between sites. These attacks occur when malicious code receives user information in an HTTP request. Here is a simple example of a reflected XSS vulnerability:

If the user uses a secure URL, they will receive a response like the one above. But an attacker can easily launch an attack like this by entering JavaScript code:

- Stored XSS: The malicious script is generated from the website database.

Another type of XSS attack is a saved or persistent attack when the user receives data from an unreliable source. For example, malicious scripts in a blog post, fields, contact details about a customer order, etc., come from unreliable sources.

If the user visits the URL created by the attacker, the attacker script is executed in the user's browser. At that point, the script can perform any action and retrieve and steal any data that the user has access to. A messaging application allows users to send messages that are displayed to other users:

An attacker can now easily send a message with scripting code that attacks other users:

- DOM-based XSS: There is a vulnerability in the client-side code instead of the server-side code. DOM-based XSS (known as DSS XSS) is created when an application contains client-side JavaScript and processes data from an unreliable source in an insecure manner. Here is a simple example of an XSS vulnerability. In the following example, an application uses JavaScript code to read a value from an input field and write that value into an element in HTML:

If the attacker can control the value of the input field, they can easily create a malicious value that causes the script to execute itself instead of the above code:

In this example, an attacker uses a malicious URL to perform the attack the same way as a reflected XSS attack.

Trusted websites

In the zone, Trusted sites are where we put the sites that you think have the necessary security. Any site you intend to place in this zone should be fully aware of it and should not limit you in terms of security. To add or remove a site from this zone, you can click the Site button. After the Trusted site window opens, you can add your desired sites to it. You may only place sites in this zone with HTTPS that check for required server verification (HTTPS) for all sites.

Trust Rank is another factor that is effective in displaying Google results. Search engines like Google use many factors to display Google results. Google's algorithms use a factor called Trust Rank to find, read, and check the importance of pages. The Trust Rank factor, or Tr, is a factor that Yahoo first introduced, but it turned out to be one of the factors influencing the ranking in the Google engine. Trust factor or Tr helps search engines to check pages for trustworthiness. Trust Rank is a number between 0 and 10. Note that if your site's Tr range is high, it will be a reliable site from the point of view of search engines and will be less strict than your site, but in the lower range, this strictness and meticulousness is very high.

Terms of trust in your site

- Links to powerful sites

Sites that have high credibility in their Domain Authority and Page Authority page and sites in the field of Edu and gov have more power and are one of the best sites for link building and link exchange.

-  Privacy

The existence of pages that are effective in user security, such as authentication, site usage conditions, rules, regulations, etc., may seem boring pages, or even the user may not use them. But, are pages that the search engine is interested in, and as a user who wants to use a site, especially when they need to use the banking portals, they will be sure to go to it and check it.

- Time On Page

From Google's point of view, if a site is trusted and there is necessary and sufficient information in it, users use it, and the user's presence time on that site is high. In general, the user's presence time on the site is one of the factors that shows a website is safe and trustable.

Which websites are immune to this?

XSS is one of the most widespread attacks on web applications. XSS attacks occur when attackers inject malicious code into a web application or run malicious scripts in another user's browser. XSS attacks can also modify the web page of a web application to direct its authorized users to fraudulent sites.

Even trusted websites are not immune to these attacks because the browser trusts the website if it is acknowledged trusted, then the browser does not know that the script is malicious. In this way, every website is getting threatened by XSS attacks.

Why are this dangerous?

this are among the most common WordPress vulnerabilities because they are very difficult to fix, unlike other security vulnerabilities. A small mistake in the HTML or JavaScript code on a web page can expose your website to vulnerable XSS attacks and irreparable risks. Access to someone's information and misuse of them can lead to identity theft, account and cookie theft, bank account fraud, and phishing, as well as giving the ability to spread computer worms, malware, and trojans to the victim's computers.

How to prevent its attacks?

- Install a security plugin

Installing a WordPress security plugin will help you prevent this. When choosing a security plugin, use the following checklist as a reference to ensure that this plugin has the needed functionality to keep your website safe:

- The security plugin should scan your website regularly.

- Must be able to use firewalls to prevent malicious traffic.

- The security plugin must be able to execute WordPress hardware actions.

- The plugin should manage your WordPress updates.

- The security plugin should be able to back up your WordPress website so that you can recover your site in the time of an attack by a hacker.

- Install a dedicated plugin

Installing the XSS Counter Attack Plugin is another way to prevent this. Anti-XSS plugins secure by blocking parameters involved in targeting XSS attacks, such as user input fields, comment forms, contact forms, login sections, or search bars.

XSS attacks are among the most dangerous and common hacker attacks on WordPress sites, but they can be prevented easily and without worries. The first step in preventing this is to take preventive measures. The most important step to keep your WordPress website safe is to validate the input fields.