CSRF, CORS, and the Same-Origin Policy: A Browser Security Tug-of-War

This article delves into the web security mechanisms of CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) and CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing). While both relate to cross-site requests, their functions and mechanisms differ significantly. By default, browsers enforce the same-origin policy, restricting cross-site writes but permitting cross-site reads. CSRF exploits vulnerabilities in this policy, while CORS provides a mechanism to allow specific cross-site requests. The article analyzes the impact of the SameSite attribute on CSRF, the crucial role of browsers in the overall security architecture, and notes that browser adoption of the SameSite=Lax default will directly affect internet security.