React Open Redirect Guide: Examples and Prevention

Website redirections are common features used to enhance user experience by directing users to relevant pages after certain actions, like payments or password resets, are completed. However, this functionality can introduce security vulnerabilities, specifically open redirect vulnerabilities, where attackers can manipulate redirection URLs to lead users to malicious websites. The article provides a detailed explanation of open redirection, its potential dangers, and practical steps to prevent it in React applications. It demonstrates how attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute phishing attacks, particularly highlighting the risk of leaking sensitive information like password reset tokens. To mitigate these risks, developers are advised to sanitize redirect URLs and ensure that redirections are limited to trusted, internal web pages. The guide also suggests using React's useHistory hook to manage routing securely and emphasizes the importance of combining this approach with protections against other vulnerabilities like XSS and CSRF for comprehensive security. Written by Siddhant Varma, the post combines technical guidance with insights drawn from his experience as a full-stack JavaScript developer.