# Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (CWE-79)

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

**Stack:** Python

- Prevalence: High Frequently exploited
- Impact: Critical 1 critical-severity rules
- Prevention: Documented 4 fix examples

**OWASP:** Injection (A03:2021-Injection) - #3

## Description

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when untrusted data enters a web application and is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding. XSS allows attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser which can hijack user sessions, deface web sites, or redirect the user to malicious sites.

## Prevention

Prevention strategies for Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) based on 1 Shoulder detection rules.

### Python

Use template rendering with auto-escaping or html.escape() for manual escaping

## Warning Signs

- [HIGH] untrusted user input being rendered in HTML responses without proper
escaping

## Consequences

- Execute Unauthorized Code
- Bypass Protection Mechanism
- Read Application Data
- Modify Application Data

## Mitigations

- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness
- Understand the context in which your data will be used and the encoding that will be expected
- Use Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate impact

## Detection

- Total rules: 4
- Critical: 1
- Languages: javascript, typescript, python

## Rules by Language

### Python (1 rules)

- **Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Templates** [HIGH]: Detects untrusted user input being rendered in HTML responses without proper
escaping.
  - Remediation: Use template rendering with auto-escaping, or escape manually with html.escape().

```python
import html
safe_text = html.escape(user_input)
```

Learn more: https://shoulder.dev/learn/python/cwe-79/xss