What is the Difference Between XSS and CSRF?

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) are two different types of client-side web application vulnerabilities. Here are the key differences between them:

1. Nature of the attack: XSS allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript within the browser of a victim user, while CSRF allows an attacker to induce a victim user to perform actions.
2. Authenticated session: CSRF attacks require an authenticated session, while XSS attacks do not.
3. Scope of actions: CSRF is restricted to the actions victims can perform, while XSS works on the execution of malicious scripts, enlarging the scope of actions the attacker can perform.
4. Vulnerability requirement: XSS requires only a vulnerability, while CSRF often applies to a subset of actions that a user is able to perform.
5. Consequences: The consequences of XSS vulnerabilities are generally more serious than for CSRF vulnerabilities.
6. Malicious code storage: In XSS attacks, the malicious code is stored within the site, whereas in CSRF attacks, the malicious code is stored within third-party sites that the victim user is made to access.
7. Prevention: CSRF tokens are often used as a means to prevent XSS attacks, but they do not protect against stored XSS vulnerabilities.

In summary, XSS and CSRF are both client-side web application vulnerabilities, but they differ in the nature of the attack, the scope of actions, the consequences, and the methods used to prevent them.

Comparative Table: XSS vs CSRF

Here is a table comparing the differences between XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) and CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery):

In summary, XSS focuses on injecting and executing malicious scripts within a user's browser, while CSRF involves tricking a user into making an unintended request to a web application. Both attacks have different methods and goals, and require different prevention strategies.