Skip to content

Glossary · Security

Cross-Origin Resource Sharing

A browser security mechanism that controls which origins may make requests to an API or resource from client side JavaScript.

Browse all definitions

In detail

Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is the mechanism by which servers declare which other origins (domain + scheme + port combinations) may make cross-origin requests from a browser. Without CORS restrictions, a malicious website could use a logged in user's browser to make API calls to your server. The browser enforces CORS via preflight OPTIONS requests and response headers (Access-Control-Allow-Origin). A misconfigured CORS policy that sets Access-Control-Allow-Origin to * or reflects the request origin without validation effectively disables the protection.

Sources & further reading

Check the source, not just the summary

Apply the definition

Want to talk through how this applies to your business?

Start with the decision in front of you. We will help map the fit.

Straight answers · no pitch deck · no commitment