cross-site scripting

noun

UK /ˌkrɒs saɪt ˈskrɪptɪŋ/

US /ˌkrɔs saɪt ˈskrɪptɪŋ/

A trick where bad code sneaks into a website and runs in someone else's browser.

The security team fixed a cross-site scripting bug before attackers could use it.

SYNONYMS

XSS script injection web script injection client-side injection

RELATED WORDS

vulnerability malware browser sanitization exploit

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A class of web security flaws listed in vulnerability databases.

The report flagged cross-site scripting as the most common issue.

3. An attack technique used in penetration testing to check input handling.

Testers used cross-site scripting to see if the comment form was safe.

4. A coding mistake where user input is shown without being cleaned.

Unescaped output led to cross-site scripting on the profile page.