Prevention of cross-site scripting attacks in web applications

Cross-site scripting is a vulnerability in Web applications that can be exploited by injecting malicious script codes such as JavaScript into a Web application. A cross-site scripting technique allows an authorised user to inject malicious codes into a Web application and perform malicious activities. This paper analyses the traditional methods used in preventing cross-site scripting. A security framework is then proposed to improve the security of Web applications against Web-scripting attacks. This framework defines a security checklist, which comprises a set of rules. These rules contribute towards strengthening the security of Web applications and making them more robust to cross-site scripting attacks.