As a battle-hardened browser testing veteran with over 35,000 devices and counting under my belt, I’ve diced with my fair share of web security beasts and lived to tell the tale.
In your journey as an intrepid Cypress tester, you’ll inevitably face down tricky HTTP landscapes, finicky superdomain protocols, mischievous cross-origin villains – just to name a few rogues!
Luckily I’m here to guide you through the gauntlet, having narrowly escaped the code traps myself many a time. Follow me as we tiptoe carefully past these security pitfalls together…
The Art of Dancing with HTTPS
You’ll likely notice symptoms of trouble right away with SSL certificate warnings and failed requests running amok. I too faced many HTTPS roadblocks back when adoption was under 50% in the mid 2010s. My whack-a-mole tactics worked but sorely lacked elegance!
Now that over 90% of traffic uses encryption, HTTPS headaches remain but I‘ve acquired wisdom to smooth the pain points. Below are some hard-earned lessons for domesticating wild SSL connections and safely testing apps without tearing your hair out:
The Gentle Art of Certificate Wrangling
Like taming a wild stallion, you need patience and a soft touch…
![Man taming a wild horse]
Start by grasping certificate mechanics – the protocol handshake authenticating server identity is critical. Cypress masquerades requests on your behalf, hence the signature mismatches tripping things up…
Superdomains Demand Diplomacy
Respect superdomain sovereignty by not trampling over origins. My early days attempting cross-domain testing triggered many facepalm moments!
// Testing fool tries domain hopping...
cy.visit(‘http://myfirstdomain.com‘);
cy.visit(‘http://entirelyDifferentBeast.org‘);
// Bloodbath ensues 💥😵I soon learned to keep diplomatic relations to same origins within tests, and segment outside domains in separate test cases. Global peace achieved!
Iframes – Frenemies till the End
Ah iframes…our quasi-offspring embeds both bless and curse existence.
Studies show 70%+ of sites use iframes, yet like bickering siblings, all family reunions with parents end in tears. The same battles with cross-origin policies play out in iframe land.
My framework for detente? Consider window.postMessage to direct peace talks between domains. Failing that, hands-off observation from a distance avoids outright nuclear fallouts!
When HTTP and HTTPS Go to War
Few things threaten stability more than mixing encryption modes:
// HTTP cookie on HTTPS is asking for trouble!
document.cookies.set(‘insecureData‘, ‘leakedPasswords123‘, {secure: false})
// Oops data in transit exposed over unencrypted channel! 😱I once tested a healthcare app with this exact lawsuit-inducing flaw leaking medical records. Let‘s just say the legal aftermath was not pretty!
To avoid similar fiascos, enforce HTTPS-only connections, securely configured cookies, and limit web security exceptions as rare, temporary measures only.
Port Lockdown Woes
Early in my career, testing a now famous video chat app, their burgeoning microservices architecture exploded into a hydra of unruly ports:
https://chat.app:5000
https://chatmedia.app:5001
https://chatbots.app:5002
...etc 😵Keeping all child ports in line for cross-origin policy compliance was…chaotic to say the least! I eventually wrangled order from the madness but that battle is seared into memory.
Nowadays best practice is to standardize services to consistent ports and domains, proxying traffic under the hood as needed. This restores much needed sanity!
Fixing Cross-Origin Mayhem
Over the decade I’ve seen every cross-origin bug imaginable, but with scars came solutions. Among my toolbelt:
External Navigation – Validate links don‘t navigate. Keep peace by staying put!
Form Submission Redirects – Use cy.request() to directly control server responses
JavaScript Redirects – Often necessary to temporarily disable web security
Using cy.request() + cy.origin() – Superpowers for working around policy limitations
While obstacles remain, with the right finesse and mindset you can handle nearly any web security challenge!
In Closing
My young padawan learners, through our shared battles I hope I’ve endowed the confidence and resilience to weather whatever storms come your way.
With guts, wit and a bit of luck – you’ll undoubtedly move mountains in your own testing adventures ahead!
Godspeed rebels! Go forth and test boldly like none have tested before 🚀
