Content-Security-Policy
Content-Security-Policy (CSP) is the most effective defense against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, which remain in the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities. SaaSalyst checks whether your server sends a CSP header, detecting a missing security control that leaves users vulnerable to script injection.
What SaaSalyst Checks
SaaSalyst inspects the HTTP response headers from your server for the Content-Security-Policy header. The scanner checks for the header's presence — if found, the check passes; if absent, it triggers a warning.
Why This Matters
CSP tells browsers which sources of content (scripts, styles, images) are allowed to load on your page. Without it, an attacker who finds an XSS vulnerability can inject any script from any source.
Implementing CSP is one of the most impactful security improvements you can make. It mitigates the entire class of XSS attacks, which are the most common web application vulnerability.
Enterprise security assessments weight CSP heavily. A missing CSP suggests that basic security hardening hasn't been performed.
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How to Fix It
- Start with a report-only CSP to identify what needs to be allowed: Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only: default-src 'self'; report-uri /csp-report.
- Gradually build your policy by whitelisting legitimate sources for scripts, styles, images, and fonts.
- For Next.js apps, configure CSP in next.config.js headers or middleware. Use nonce-based policies for inline scripts.
- Use the MDN CSP documentation and report-uri.com to monitor and refine your policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does SaaSalyst check for Content-Security-Policy?
SaaSalyst inspects your server's HTTP response headers for a Content-Security-Policy header. Its presence indicates XSS protection is configured.
Is CSP hard to implement?
CSP can be complex for sites with many third-party scripts. SaaSalyst recommends starting with report-only mode to identify needed allowances before enforcing the policy.
How does CSP affect my Business Readiness Score?
SaaSalyst rates CSP as medium severity in Security & Infrastructure. It's one of the most effective security headers, and enterprise security audits specifically check for it.
References & Official Sources
Official regulatory and standards sources relevant to the checks SaaSalyst runs on your site.
- OWASP Top 10— OWASP
- Security Headers Reference— Mozilla
- HSTS Preload List— Google
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