Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when an application includes

untrusted data in a new web page without proper validation or escaping, or updates an

existing web page with user-supplied data using a browser API that can create HTML

or JavaScript. Input validation is a primary defense mechanism. It involves checking

and sanitizing data received from the client before it is processed or stored to ensure it

does not contain malicious scripts. By rigorously validating all input, particularly in form

fields, applications can prevent the injection and subsequent execution of malicious

code in a user's browser.

A. Secure cookies: Attributes like HttpOnly and Secure for cookies protect the cookie

data from being accessed by client-side scripts (in the case of HttpOnly) or ensure

cookies are only sent over HTTPS (in the case of Secure). While these are good

security practices and can mitigate some impacts of XSS (like session hijacking via

cookie theft), they do not prevent the XSS vulnerability itself from existing in a form

field.

B. Version control: Systems like Git or SVN are used for managing changes to source

code. While essential for software development, version control does not directly

implement any runtime security mechanism to prevent vulnerabilities like XSS.

D. Code signing: This process verifies the author and integrity of software code,

ensuring it hasn't been tampered with since publication. Code signing does not

prevent developers from inadvertently or otherwise writing code that contains

vulnerabilities like XSS.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-

53 Revision 5: Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and

Organizations.

Control: SI-10 Information Input Validation

Discussion: "Information input validation is a defensive technique that protects

information systems against many types of attacks, including [...] cross-site scripting

[...]. Information input validation can occur at the client or at the server. It includes, for

example, [...] rejecting malformed and anomalous input [...]."

URL: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final (See SI-10, Page 297

(PDF page 371))

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-

95: Guide to Secure Web Services.

Section: 4.3 Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures

Discussion: This section discusses common web application attacks. For Cross-Site

Scripting, while not using the exact phrase "input validation" as the sole

countermeasure in the summary table, the description of XSS implies that improper

handling of input is the cause. More generally, the document states: "A web application

should comprehensively validate all client input before processing it." (Section 4.3.1).

URL: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-95.pdf

(Page 20, Section 4.3; Page 21, Section 4.3.1)

MIT OpenCourseWare: 6.858 Computer Systems Security, Fall 2014. Lecture 4: Web

Security.

Discussion: Lecture notes and slides frequently emphasize input validation and output

encoding as primary defenses against XSS. For example, discussions around

"Sanitizing input" are common in web security contexts.

URL: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-858-computer-systems-security-fall2014/resources/mit6_858f14_lec4/ (Specifically, slide 36 mentions "Filter/validate input

data" as a defense against injection attacks, and XSS is a type of injection).

IEEE Center for Secure Design (CSD). (2015). Avoiding the Top 10 Software Security

Design Flaws. (While this is a summary, it reflects principles found in detailed IEEE

papers and standards).

Flaw Addressed (related): Improper Input Validation. The document emphasizes that

"Input validation is the most important defense against all input-based vulnerabilities."

XSS is a classic input-based vulnerability.

URL: (General reference to IEEE's work on secure design, specific detailed papers

would further elaborate. A direct link to a specific IEEE standard or paper detailing XSS

and input validation is preferable if readily available without paywall. For instance,

documents referenced by IEEE such as the OWASP guides which are often cited in

academic contexts also heavily push this.)

More specific IEEE example (conceptual): Many IEEE papers on web security or secure

software development life cycles will discuss input validation as a fundamental control

against injection attacks, including XSS. Searching the IEEE Xplore digital library for

"cross-site scripting input validation" would yield numerous peer-reviewed articles. For

example, concepts detailed in papers like "A Survey on Cross-Site Scripting Attacks

and Defenses" often found in IEEE proceedings would confirm this.