Is localStorage vulnerable to XSS?
Most developers are afraid of storing tokens in LocalStorage due to XSS attacks. While LocalStorage is easy to access, the problem actually runs a lot deeper. In this article, we investigate how an attacker can bypass even the most advanced mechanisms to obtain access tokens through an XSS attack.
Which is more secure localStorage or cookies?
Although cookies still have some vulnerabilities, it’s preferable compared to localStorage whenever possible. Both localStorage and cookies are vulnerable to XSS attacks but it’s harder for the attacker to do the attack when you’re using httpOnly cookies.
How local storage is different from cookies?
Local Storage is available for every page and remains even when the web browser is closed, but you cannot read it on the server. The stored data has no expiration date in local storage. Local Storage is for client side, whereas cookies are for the client as well as server side.
What is Cache VS cookies?
The main difference between Cache and Cookie is that, Cache is used to store online page resources during a browser for the long run purpose or to decrease the loading time. On the other hand, cookies are employed to store user choices such as browsing session to trace the user preferences.
Which is more vulnerable to XSS cookies or localStorage?
Both localStorage and cookies are vulnerable to XSS attacks but it’s harder for the attacker to attack when you’re using httpOnly cookies. Cookies are vulnerable to CSRF attacks but it can be mitigated using sameSite flag and anti-CSRF tokens.
Which is better to store JWT tokens localStorage or cookies?
Option 1: Store your access token in localStorage : prone to XSS. Option 2: Store your access token in httpOnly cookie: prone to CSRF but can be mitigated, a bit better in terms of exposure to XSS. Option 3: Store your refresh token in httpOnly cookie: safe from CSRF, a bit better in terms of exposure to XSS.
Why are JWT cookies not protected against XSS?
You are still not protected against XSS because what the attacker can do is inject script that reads your CSRF cookie (which is not HttpOnly) and then make a request to one of your API endpoints using this CSRF token with JWT cookie being sent automatically.
What’s the difference between cookies, sessionStorage, and localStorage?
In terms of capabilities, cookies, sessionStorage, and localStorage only allow you to store strings – it is possible to implicitly convert primitive values when setting (these will need to be converted back to use them as their type after reading) but not Objects or Arrays (it is possible to JSON serialise them to store them using the APIs).