helmet-csp vs express-csp-header
Content Security Policy Middleware Comparison
1 Year
helmet-cspexpress-csp-header
What's Content Security Policy Middleware?

Content Security Policy (CSP) middleware packages are essential for enhancing the security of web applications by helping to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) and other code injection attacks. These packages provide developers with tools to define and enforce CSP rules, which dictate which resources can be loaded and executed in the browser. By implementing CSP, developers can significantly reduce the risk of malicious content being executed on their web pages, thus improving overall application security.

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helmet-csp467,03910,33716.5 kB19 months agoMIT
express-csp-header14,5592361 kB013 days agoWTFPL
Feature Comparison: helmet-csp vs express-csp-header

Ease of Use

  • helmet-csp:

    helmet-csp offers a more complex setup but provides extensive options for customizing CSP policies. It may require more initial effort to configure correctly, but it is beneficial for applications needing detailed security controls.

  • express-csp-header:

    express-csp-header is designed for simplicity and ease of integration. It allows developers to quickly set up CSP headers with minimal configuration, making it an excellent choice for projects that prioritize speed of implementation.

Customization

  • helmet-csp:

    helmet-csp allows for extensive customization of CSP rules, enabling developers to define specific policies for different routes and resources. This flexibility is crucial for applications with diverse security needs.

  • express-csp-header:

    This package provides basic customization options for CSP directives, allowing developers to specify which resources are allowed. However, its simplicity may limit advanced configurations.

Integration

  • helmet-csp:

    helmet-csp is part of the Helmet suite, which includes various security middleware. This integration allows developers to implement multiple security measures in one place, enhancing overall application security.

  • express-csp-header:

    express-csp-header is specifically designed for Express.js applications, making it easy to integrate with existing Express middleware without additional overhead.

Community Support

  • helmet-csp:

    helmet-csp benefits from a larger community and extensive documentation, providing developers with a wealth of resources, examples, and support for implementing security best practices.

  • express-csp-header:

    This package has a smaller community compared to Helmet, which may result in fewer resources and examples available for troubleshooting and implementation.

Performance Impact

  • helmet-csp:

    While helmet-csp adds some overhead due to its comprehensive feature set, the performance impact is generally acceptable for most applications, especially when balanced against the enhanced security it provides.

  • express-csp-header:

    Due to its lightweight nature, express-csp-header has minimal performance overhead, making it suitable for applications that require fast response times without compromising security.

How to Choose: helmet-csp vs express-csp-header
  • helmet-csp:

    Choose helmet-csp if you are looking for a more comprehensive security solution that integrates well with other Helmet middleware. It offers a broader range of security features and allows for more granular control over CSP settings, making it suitable for applications with complex security requirements.

  • express-csp-header:

    Choose express-csp-header if you need a straightforward way to set CSP headers in your Express application with minimal configuration. It is ideal for projects that require a simple and effective solution for enforcing CSP without extensive customization.

README for helmet-csp

Content Security Policy middleware

The Content-Security-Policy header mitigates a large number of attacks, such as [cross-site scripting][XSS]. See MDN's introductory article on Content Security Policy.

This header is powerful but likely requires some configuration for your specific app.

To configure this header, pass an object with a nested directives object. Each key is a directive name in camel case (such as defaultSrc) or kebab case (such as default-src). Each value is an array (or other iterable) of strings or functions for that directive. If a function appears in the array, it will be called with the request and response objects.

const contentSecurityPolicy = require("helmet-csp");

// Sets all of the defaults, but overrides `script-src`
// and disables the default `style-src`.
app.use(
  contentSecurityPolicy({
    directives: {
      "script-src": ["'self'", "example.com"],
      "style-src": null,
    },
  }),
);
// Sets the `script-src` directive to
// "'self' 'nonce-e33cc...'"
// (or similar)
app.use((req, res, next) => {
  res.locals.cspNonce = crypto.randomBytes(32).toString("hex");
  next();
});
app.use(
  contentSecurityPolicy({
    directives: {
      scriptSrc: ["'self'", (req, res) => `'nonce-${res.locals.cspNonce}'`],
    },
  }),
);

These directives are merged into a default policy, which you can disable by setting useDefaults to false.

// Sets "Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self';
// script-src 'self' example.com;object-src 'none';
// upgrade-insecure-requests"
app.use(
  contentSecurityPolicy({
    useDefaults: false,
    directives: {
      defaultSrc: ["'self'"],
      scriptSrc: ["'self'", "example.com"],
      objectSrc: ["'none'"],
      upgradeInsecureRequests: [],
    },
  }),
);

You can get the default directives object with contentSecurityPolicy.getDefaultDirectives(). Here is the default policy (formatted for readability):

default-src 'self';
base-uri 'self';
font-src 'self' https: data:;
form-action 'self';
frame-ancestors 'self';
img-src 'self' data:;
object-src 'none';
script-src 'self';
script-src-attr 'none';
style-src 'self' https: 'unsafe-inline';
upgrade-insecure-requests

The default-src directive can be explicitly disabled by setting its value to contentSecurityPolicy.dangerouslyDisableDefaultSrc, but this is not recommended.

You can set the Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only instead:

// Sets the Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only header
app.use(
  contentSecurityPolicy({
    directives: {
      /* ... */
    },
    reportOnly: true,
  }),
);

This module performs very little validation on your CSP. You should rely on CSP checkers like CSP Evaluator instead.