Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Protection

Overview

XSS allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into webpages viewed by other users.

Django’s Protection Mechanisms

• Auto-escaping: Django templates escape variables by default.
• Safe Markup: Use mark_safe() only when you are sure the content is safe.

Example

<!-- Safe template usage -->
<p>{{ user_input }}</p>

<!-- Use mark_safe with caution -->
from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
safe_input = mark_safe(user_input)

Best Practices

• Validate and sanitize user inputs.
• Avoid using mark_safe() unless necessary.
• Keep third-party libraries updated.