# XSS Payload Detector Detect XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attack vectors in input strings > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/xss-payload-detector - **Category:** Security - **Keywords:** xss, cross-site scripting, security, web, attack, detector, XSS Payload Detector ## Overview ### XSS Payload Detector This tool helps identify potential XSS vulnerabilities in your input: **Detection Categories:** - **Script Tags**: <script>, </script>, <script.*?> - **Event Handlers**: onclick, onload, onerror, onmouseover, etc. - **Dangerous Protocols**: javascript:, vbscript:, data: - **iframe/frame**: <iframe>, <frame> - **Object/Embed**: <object>, <embed> - **Style Injection**: <style>, expression(), -moz-binding - **SVG-based XSS**: <svg> tags with event handlers - **DOM-based XSS**: innerHTML, eval(), document.write() **Risk Levels:** - **LOW**: Basic HTML tags without scripts - **MEDIUM**: Event handlers and protocols - **HIGH**: Script tags and encoded payloads - **CRITICAL**: Complete, executable XSS payloads **Example Attack Patterns:** - <script>alert('XSS')</script> - <img src=x onerror=alert('XSS')> - <svg onload=alert('XSS')> - javascript:alert('XSS') - <iframe src="javascript:alert('XSS')"> - %3Cscript%3Ealert('XSS')%3C/script%3E **Use Cases:** - Validate user input before rendering - Scan log files for XSS attempts - Review code for potential vulnerabilities - Security testing and penetration testing - Educational tool for learning XSS attacks ## Inputs - **Text to Analyze** (textarea): Enter text or code to scan for XSS attack vectors... - **Check Event Handlers** (checkbox): Detect onclick, onload, onerror, and other event handlers - **Check Script Tags** (checkbox): Detect tags and related patterns - **Check Dangerous Protocols** (checkbox): Detect javascript:, vbscript:, data: protocols - **Check Encoded Payloads** (checkbox): Detect URL-encoded and HTML entity-encoded attacks - **Decode and Analyze** (checkbox): Decode HTML entities and URL encoding before analysis - **Maximum Analysis Depth** (number): Maximum depth for nested pattern analysis ## When to use - When validating user-submitted content before rendering it on a web page to block XSS attacks. - When scanning server logs or user inputs for signs of malicious XSS attempts during security audits. - During penetration testing or code reviews to identify XSS flaws in web applications. ## How it works - Enter or paste the text to analyze into the input field. - Select which checks to perform, such as detecting script tags, event handlers, or dangerous protocols. - The tool matches the input against known XSS patterns and assigns risk levels based on severity. - Results are displayed in JSON format, detailing detected patterns, their positions, and risk ratings. ## Use cases - Testing user-generated content in forums or comment sections for XSS vulnerabilities before publication. - Forensic analysis of security logs to trace and decode XSS attack attempts in encoded formats. - Educational demonstrations to show how XSS attacks work and how to detect them in controlled environments. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)? XSS is a web security vulnerability where attackers inject malicious scripts into pages viewed by other users, potentially stealing data or performing unauthorized actions. ### How does the tool detect XSS payloads? It uses pattern matching to identify common XSS vectors like script tags, event handlers, and encoded strings, based on the selected analysis options. ### Can I customize the detection checks? Yes, you can enable or disable specific checks for event handlers, script tags, protocols, encoded payloads, and more using the provided options. ### What risk levels does the tool assign? Risk levels range from LOW for basic HTML tags to CRITICAL for complete, executable XSS payloads, helping prioritize security responses. ### Is this tool suitable for real-time protection? It's designed for testing and analysis. For real-time protection, integrate with web application firewalls or security libraries. ## Related tools - [SQL Injection Detector](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/sql-injection-detector): Detect common SQL injection attack patterns in input strings - [Mock Data Prefix / Abbreviation Conflict Detector](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/mock-data-naming-conflict-detector): Detect visually confusing field names and prefix collisions in CSV, JSON, or schema inputs, then suggest clearer renames - [Accessibility Checker](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/accessibility-checker): Detect common WCAG 2.1 accessibility issues in HTML, fetched pages, or design images and return fix-ready guidance - [TXT File Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/txt-merger): Merge multiple text files with various strategies (concatenate, interleave, etc.) - [Underline Text](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/underline-text): Add an underline beneath every character via the Unicode combining mark U+0332. Plain text — no HTML needed. - [AES Encryption Tool](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/aes-encryption-tool): Encrypt or decrypt text and files with AES-256-GCM and export IV-based bundles - [Dataset Imbalance Detector & Resampler](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/dataset-imbalance-detector-resampler): Detect class imbalance in CSV or JSON datasets, compare resampling strategies, and preview a balanced output dataset - [BFV, CKKS, LWE FHE Ciphertext Noise Budget, Relin and Bootstrapping Explainer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/bfv-ckks-lwe-fhe-ciphertext-noise-budget-relin-and-bootstrapping-explainer): Run a real miniature BFV/CKKS pipeline over Z_q\[x\]/(xⁿ+1): exact invariant-noise budgets in bits, ciphertext multiplication with relinearization, modulus switching, SIMD slot packing and a bootstrapping refresh. ## Samples - [XSS Payload Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/xss-payloads): Educational collection of cross-site scripting (XSS) payloads for security testing and validation - [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio - [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion - [Web Image Processing Rust Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-rust): Web Rust image processing examples including image read/save, scaling, and format conversion