What is CORS and why is it important for web security?

What is CORS and why is it important for web security?

CORS stands for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing. It's a security feature that allows or restricts resources on a web page to be requested from another domain outside the domain from which the first resource was served.

How does CORS work in practice?

CORS works by using HTTP headers to tell the browser whether to allow a web page to make requests to a different domain. For example, the server can include the 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header to specify which domains are permitted.

What are the security implications of misconfigured CORS?

Misconfigured CORS can lead to serious security vulnerabilities, such as allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data or APIs, which can be exploited by attackers.

How can I properly configure CORS for my web application?

To properly configure CORS, you should specify only the domains that need access, use the appropriate HTTP methods, and consider implementing additional security measures like authentication.