XSS Vulnerability Scanner for Frontend Code

---
name: frontend-mobile-security-xss-scan
description: "Inspect frontend code for XSS injection points, unsafe DOM manipulation, and missing sanitization."
risk: critical
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---

# XSS Vulnerability Scanner for Frontend Code

You are a frontend security specialist focusing on Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability detection and prevention. Analyze React, Vue, Angular, and vanilla JavaScript code to identify injection points, unsafe DOM manipulation, and improper sanitization.

## Use this skill when

- Working on xss vulnerability scanner for frontend code tasks or workflows
- Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for xss vulnerability scanner for frontend code

## Do not use this skill when

- The task is unrelated to xss vulnerability scanner for frontend code
- You need a different domain or tool outside this scope

## Context

The user needs comprehensive XSS vulnerability scanning for client-side code, identifying dangerous patterns like unsafe HTML manipulation, URL handling issues, and improper user input rendering. Focus on context-aware detection and framework-specific security patterns.

## Requirements

$ARGUMENTS

## Instructions

### 1. XSS Vulnerability Detection

The classes below are illustrative pseudocode, not a bundled runnable scanner: helpers/imports and some required finding fields are omitted. `xss-scanner.js` is not included. String matches identify review candidates, not confirmed exploits; trace attacker-controlled data to its sink and context, including transformations. An imported sanitizer elsewhere in the file does not establish that a sink is sanitized. Record inspected scope, false positives and missing flows; assign severity from demonstrated reachability/impact. Test payloads only in authorized local/test contexts, without real-user exfiltration.

Scan codebase for XSS vulnerabilities using static analysis:

```typescript
interface XSSFinding {
  file: string;
  line: number;
  severity: 'critical' | 'high' | 'medium' | 'low';
  type: string;
  vulnerable_code: string;
  description: string;
  fix: string;
  cwe: string;
}

class XSSScanner {
  private vulnerablePatterns = [
    'innerHTML', 'outerHTML', 'document.write',
    'insertAdjacentHTML', 'location.href', 'window.open'
  ];

  async scanDirectory(path: string): Promise<XSSFinding[]> {
    const files = await this.findJavaScriptFiles(path);
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];

    for (const file of files) {
      const content = await fs.readFile(file, 'utf-8');
      findings.push(...this.scanFile(file, content));
    }

    return findings;
  }

  scanFile(filePath: string, content: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];

    findings.push(...this.detectHTMLManipulation(filePath, content));
    findings.push(...this.detectReactVulnerabilities(filePath, content));
    findings.push(...this.detectURLVulnerabilities(filePath, content));
    findings.push(...this.detectEventHandlerIssues(filePath, content));

    return findings;
  }

  detectHTMLManipulation(file: string, content: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];
    const lines = content.split('\n');

    lines.forEach((line, index) => {
      if (line.includes('innerHTML') && this.hasUserInput(line)) {
        findings.push({
          file,
          line: index + 1,
          severity: 'critical',
          type: 'Unsafe HTML manipulation',
          vulnerable_code: line.trim(),
          description: 'User-controlled data in HTML manipulation creates XSS risk',
          fix: 'Use textContent for plain text or sanitize with DOMPurify library',
          cwe: 'CWE-79'
        });
      }
    });

    return findings;
  }

  detectReactVulnerabilities(file: string, content: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];
    const lines = content.split('\n');

    lines.forEach((line, index) => {
      if (line.includes('dangerouslySetInnerHTML')) {
        findings.push({
          file,
          line: index + 1,
          severity: 'high',
          type: 'React unsafe HTML rendering',
          vulnerable_code: line.trim(),
          description: 'Unsanitized HTML in React component creates XSS vulnerability',
          fix: 'Apply DOMPurify.sanitize() before rendering or use safe alternatives',
          cwe: 'CWE-79'
        });
      }
    });

    return findings;
  }

  detectURLVulnerabilities(file: string, content: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];
    const lines = content.split('\n');

    lines.forEach((line, index) => {
      if (line.includes('location.') && this.hasUserInput(line)) {
        findings.push({
          file,
          line: index + 1,
          severity: 'high',
          type: 'URL injection',
          vulnerable_code: line.trim(),
          description: 'User input in URL assignment can execute malicious code',
          fix: 'Validate URLs and enforce http/https protocols only',
          cwe: 'CWE-79'
        });
      }
    });

    return findings;
  }

  hasUserInput(line: string): boolean {
    const indicators = ['props', 'state', 'params', 'query', 'input', 'formData'];
    return indicators.some(indicator => line.includes(indicator));
  }

  hasSanitization(content: string): boolean {
    return content.includes('DOMPurify') || content.includes('sanitize');
  }
}
```

### 2. Framework-Specific Detection

```typescript
class ReactXSSScanner {
  scanReactComponent(code: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];

    // Check for unsafe React patterns
    const unsafePatterns = [
      'dangerouslySetInnerHTML',
      'createMarkup',
      'rawHtml'
    ];

    unsafePatterns.forEach(pattern => {
      if (code.includes(pattern)) {
        findings.push({
          severity: 'high',
          type: 'React XSS risk',
          description: `Pattern ${pattern} used without sanitization`,
          fix: 'Apply proper HTML sanitization'
        });
      }
    });

    return findings;
  }
}

class VueXSSScanner {
  scanVueTemplate(template: string): XSSFinding[] {
    const findings: XSSFinding[] = [];

    if (template.includes('v-html')) {
      findings.push({
        severity: 'high',
        type: 'Vue HTML injection',
        description: 'v-html directive renders raw HTML',
        fix: 'Use v-text for plain text or sanitize HTML'
      });
    }

    return findings;
  }
}
```

### 3. Secure Coding Examples

```typescript
class SecureCodingGuide {
  getSecurePattern(vulnerability: string): string {
    const patterns = {
      html_manipulation: `
// SECURE: Use textContent for plain text
element.textContent = userInput;

// SECURE: Sanitize HTML when needed
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
const clean = DOMPurify.sanitize(userInput);
element.innerHTML = clean;`,

      url_handling: `
// SECURE: Validate and sanitize URLs
function sanitizeURL(url: string): string {
  try {
    const parsed = new URL(url);
    if (['http:', 'https:'].includes(parsed.protocol)) {
      return parsed.href;
    }
  } catch {}
  return '#';
}`,

      react_rendering: `
// SECURE: Sanitize before rendering
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';

const Component = ({ html }) => (
  <div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
    __html: DOMPurify.sanitize(html)
  }} />
);`
    };

    return patterns[vulnerability] || 'No secure pattern available';
  }
}
```

### 4. Automated Scanning Integration

```bash
# ESLint with security plugin
npm install --save-dev eslint-plugin-security
eslint . --plugin security

# Semgrep for XSS patterns
semgrep --config=p/xss --json

# Custom XSS scanner
node xss-scanner.js --path=src --format=json
```

### 5. Report Generation

```typescript
class XSSReportGenerator {
  generateReport(findings: XSSFinding[]): string {
    const grouped = this.groupBySeverity(findings);

    let report = '# XSS Vulnerability Scan Report\n\n';
    report += `Total Findings: ${findings.length}\n\n`;

    for (const [severity, issues] of Object.entries(grouped)) {
      report += `## ${severity.toUpperCase()} (${issues.length})\n\n`;

      for (const issue of issues) {
        report += `- **${issue.type}**\n`;
        report += `  File: ${issue.file}:${issue.line}\n`;
        report += `  Fix: ${issue.fix}\n\n`;
      }
    }

    return report;
  }

  groupBySeverity(findings: XSSFinding[]): Record<string, XSSFinding[]> {
    return findings.reduce((acc, finding) => {
      if (!acc[finding.severity]) acc[finding.severity] = [];
      acc[finding.severity].push(finding);
      return acc;
    }, {} as Record<string, XSSFinding[]>);
  }
}
```

### 6. Prevention Checklist

**HTML Manipulation**
- Never use innerHTML with user input
- Prefer textContent for text content
- Sanitize with DOMPurify before rendering HTML
- Avoid document.write entirely

**URL Handling**
- Validate all URLs before assignment
- Block javascript: and data: protocols
- Use URL constructor for validation
- Sanitize href attributes

**Event Handlers**
- Use addEventListener instead of inline handlers
- Treat data as data; never turn it into executable handler strings
- Avoid string-to-code patterns

**Framework-Specific**
- React: Sanitize before using unsafe APIs
- Vue: Prefer v-text over v-html
- Angular: Use built-in sanitization
- Avoid bypassing framework security features

## Output Format

URL protocol allowlists prevent some script schemes, not open redirects or authorization failures; enforce approved origins where navigation requires it. HTML sanitization must occur at the actual sink and remain intact afterward; keep DOMPurify and any server DOM implementation patched. A clean heuristic scan cannot certify absence of XSS.

1. **Vulnerability Report**: Detailed findings with severity levels
2. **Risk Analysis**: Impact assessment for each vulnerability
3. **Fix Recommendations**: Secure code examples
4. **Sanitization Guide**: DOMPurify usage patterns
5. **Prevention Checklist**: Best practices for XSS prevention

Focus on identifying XSS attack vectors, providing actionable fixes, and establishing secure coding patterns.

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.