XSS in React: User Profiles

Introduction

React, known for its efficiency in building user interfaces, also has unique security considerations. While React generally offers a secure framework, specific features, if misused or overlooked, can open doors to XSS attacks. This lesson will focus on these potential vulnerabilities through practical examples, highlighting how even well-intentioned features can inadvertently compromise security.

Our journey through this lesson will take us through creating a common feature in web applications: a user profile with a customizable biography section. This example, while simple, is a perfect representation of how XSS vulnerabilities can sneak into our applications. We’ll explore how allowing users to input HTML content intended to enhance user engagement can be exploited by attackers if not properly handled.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of handling user-generated content in React. You’ll learn how to identify potential XSS vulnerabilities and apply effective mitigation strategies, ensuring your applications are functional and secure. This knowledge is crucial, as securing our applications is a continuous process that requires vigilance, awareness, and a proactive approach to web security.

Let’s dive into the world of React and unravel the complexities of safeguarding our applications against XSS attacks.

Social media profiles application

Imagine we are developing a social media platform. One of the features is allowing users to create a personalized profile with a customizable biography section. Users can briefly describe themselves, their interests, or any other information they wish to share. We then show a directory of profiles so that people can interact with the profiles they find more interesting.

Our application will essentially have two parts:

• A listing of all the user profiles we have.

• A section where the user can update their profile and see the changes in the listing.

To make it easier, we’ll hardcode the users in our app and not use an external service like a database. Typically, we would use a backend service to GET all the users and then update the bio of our user. We’ll also write the entire application inside the App.js file to make it easier to follow.

Code example

Here is a simplified version of the Social Profiles component in our React application: