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Security

· 11 checks — HTTP headers, CSP, TLS handshake, and cookie hygiene rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
69
GRADE
D
FIX
4
REVIEW
2
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
11
5 PASS 2 REVIEW 4 FIX
D
Content Security Policy
Action
5 of 10 CSP checks passed
FIX
5 of 10 CSP checks passed
Info::
Raw CSP policy
Got: upgrade-insecure-requests; default-src https:; script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'; frame-src https: data:; style-src https: 'unsafe-inline'; img-src https: data: blob:; media-src https: data: blob:; font-src 'self' https://assets.guim.co.uk https://pasteup.guim.co.uk https://interactive.guim.co.uk https://dashboard.ophan.co.uk https://cdn.braze.eu data:; connect-src https: wss: blob:; child-src https: blob:; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'none'
Info::
default-src directive is set
Got: default-src https:
Critical::
'unsafe-inline' found in script source
'unsafe-inline' allows inline <script> tags, defeating CSP against XSS. Remove it and use nonces or hashes instead.
Got: script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'
Critical::
'unsafe-eval' found in script source
'unsafe-eval' allows eval() and similar functions, enabling code injection. Remove it.
Got: script-src https: 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob: 'unsafe-inline'
Info::
No wildcard in script source
Info::
object-src is set to 'none'
Got: object-src 'none'
Info::
base-uri is properly restricted
Got: base-uri 'none'
Warning::
frame-ancestors directive is missing
frame-ancestors controls who can embed your page, preventing clickjacking. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.
Expected: frame-ancestors 'self'
Warning::
form-action directive is missing
form-action restricts where forms can submit data, preventing form hijacking.
Expected: form-action 'self'
Info::
upgrade-insecure-requests is enabled

'unsafe-inline' allows inline <script> tags, defeating CSP against XSS. Remove it and use nonces or hashes instead.

Why this matters

Unsafe value (unsafe-inline, unsafe-eval) in script-src defeats CSP's main protection — XSS injections can execute again.

Learn more ▾

unsafe-inline allows inline <script> tags; unsafe-eval allows eval() and similar. Both are necessary for some legacy code but explicitly dangerous. Migrate to nonces (per-page random tokens) or hashes (per-script SHA-256) instead.

Source: OWASP CSP / MDN

'unsafe-eval' allows eval() and similar functions, enabling code injection. Remove it.

Why this matters

Unsafe value (unsafe-inline, unsafe-eval) in script-src defeats CSP's main protection — XSS injections can execute again.

Learn more ▾

unsafe-inline allows inline <script> tags; unsafe-eval allows eval() and similar. Both are necessary for some legacy code but explicitly dangerous. Migrate to nonces (per-page random tokens) or hashes (per-script SHA-256) instead.

Source: OWASP CSP / MDN

frame-ancestors controls who can embed your page, preventing clickjacking. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.

Expected: frame-ancestors 'self'
Why this matters

Security gaps expose your site and users to attacks, eroding trust.

form-action restricts where forms can submit data, preventing form hijacking.

Expected: form-action 'self'
Why this matters

Security gaps expose your site and users to attacks, eroding trust.

Parsed Policy

upgrade-insecure-requests
default-src https:
script-src https:'unsafe-inline''unsafe-eval'blob:'unsafe-inline'
frame-src https:data:
style-src https:'unsafe-inline'
img-src https:data:blob:
media-src https:data:blob:
font-src 'self'https://assets.guim.co.ukhttps://pasteup.guim.co.ukhttps://interactive.guim.co.ukhttps://dashboard.ophan.co.ukhttps://cdn.braze.eudata:
connect-src https:wss:blob:
child-src https:blob:
object-src 'none'
base-uri 'none'
D
Cookie Security
Action
4 cookies analyzed, 2 checks passed
FIX
4 cookies analyzed, 2 checks passed
Info::
Cookie 'GU_mvt_id' has the Secure flag
Warning::
Cookie 'GU_mvt_id' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'GU_mvt_id' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
Critical::
Cookie 'gu_client_ab_tests' is missing the Secure flag
Without the Secure flag, this cookie can be sent over unencrypted HTTP, exposing it to interception.
Warning::
Cookie 'gu_client_ab_tests' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'gu_client_ab_tests' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
Critical::
Cookie 'gu_v2_mvt_id' is missing the Secure flag
Without the Secure flag, this cookie can be sent over unencrypted HTTP, exposing it to interception.
Warning::
Cookie 'gu_v2_mvt_id' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'gu_v2_mvt_id' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
Info::
Cookie 'GU_geo_country' has the Secure flag
Warning::
Cookie 'GU_geo_country' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'GU_geo_country' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
4 cookies analyzed 2 critical 8 warnings
NameSecureHttpOnlySameSiteSizeIssues
GU_mvt_id✓✗—15 B2
gu_client_ab_tests✗✗—86 B3
gu_v2_mvt_id✗✗—15 B3
GU_geo_country✓✗—16 B2
F
Subresource Integrity
Action
0 of 7 external resources have SRI
FIX
0 of 7 external resources have SRI
Warning::
External script from assets.guim.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://assets.guim.co.uk/polyfill.io/v3/polyfill.min.js?rum=0&features=es6%2Ces7%2Ces2017%2Ces2018%2Ces2019%2Cdefault-3.6%2CHTMLPictureElement%2CIntersectionObserver%2CIntersectionObserverEntry%2CURLSearchParams%2Cfetch%2CNodeList.prototype.forEach%2Cnavigator.sendBeacon%2Cperformance.now%2CPromise.allSettled&flags=gated&callback=guardianPolyfilled&unknown=polyfill&cacheClear=1
Warning::
External script from assets.guim.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://assets.guim.co.uk/assets/frameworks.client.web.8844a1b3ccdb9ca9be92.js
Warning::
External script from assets.guim.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://assets.guim.co.uk/assets/index.client.web.18dee422f56822d692d5.js
Warning::
External script from assets.guim.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://assets.guim.co.uk/commercial/4209b0b7fab4ca3f32ab/graun.standalone.commercial.js
Warning::
External link from assets.guim.co.uk lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/css/print.css
Warning::
External script from sourcepoint.theguardian.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com/unified/4.40.1/gdpr-tcf.27718c8cb9d29947d2c1.bundle.js
Warning::
External script from sourcepoint.theguardian.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com/unified/wrapperMessagingWithoutDetection.js
SRI Coverage 0 / 7 of external resources have integrity hashes
TagDomainIntegrity
<script>assets.guim.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>assets.guim.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>assets.guim.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>assets.guim.co.uk✗ Missing
<link>assets.guim.co.uk✗ Missing
<script>sourcepoint.theguardian.com✗ Missing
<script>sourcepoint.theguardian.com✗ Missing
F
Email Security
Action
No DMARC
FIX
No DMARC
Warning::
No DMARC record found
Without DMARC, email receivers have no policy for handling authentication failures.
DMARC

No DMARC record found

Without DMARC, email receivers have no policy for handling authentication failures from your domain.

Without DMARC, email receivers have no policy for handling authentication failures.

Why this matters

Without DMARC, anyone can send phishing emails using your domain name.

Learn more ▾

DMARC tells receiving mail servers what to do with email that fails SPF/DKIM checks for your domain. With a strict 'p=reject' policy, spoofed emails get bounced; without it they reach the inbox. Domains used in phishing campaigns lose deliverability and brand trust fast.

Source: DMARC.org / NIST

B
CORS Configuration
No CORS headers
REVIEW
No CORS headers
Info::
No CORS headers present — secure default
CORS Configuration ✓ Secure

No CORS headers detected.

Cross-origin requests are blocked by browser same-origin policy.

Origin reflection test

Some servers mirror the request Origin header, which can be exploited. Test manually:

curl -sI -H "Origin: https://evil.com" <url> | grep -i access-control
B
security.txt
Published with 1 contact(s)
REVIEW

security.txt

Contact: mailto:appsec@theguardian.com
Encryption: https://www.theguardian.com/pgp/PublicKeys/Guardian%20Application-Security.pub.txt
Policy: https://www.theguardian.com/.well-known/security.txt
A
Security Headers
8 of 10 headers properly configured
PASS
8 of 10 headers properly configured
Info::
Strict-Transport-Security is properly configured
Got: max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains; preload
Info::
X-Content-Type-Options is properly configured
Got: nosniff
Info::
X-Frame-Options is properly configured
Got: SAMEORIGIN
Info::
Referrer-Policy is properly configured
Got: no-referrer-when-downgrade
Info::
Permissions-Policy is set
Got: camera=(), microphone=(), midi=(), geolocation=(), interest-cohort=(), clipboard-read=(), unload=()
Info::
Content-Security-Policy is present
Got: upgrade-insecure-requests; default-src https:; script-src https: 'unsafe-inline'…
Warning::
Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy header is missing
COOP isolates your browsing context, preventing cross-origin side-channel attacks. Set to 'same-origin'.
Expected: same-origin
Warning::
Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy header is missing
COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers.
Expected: require-corp
Info::
X-Powered-By header is not present
Info::
Server header is not present

COOP isolates your browsing context, preventing cross-origin side-channel attacks. Set to 'same-origin'.

Expected: same-origin
Why this matters

COOP isolates your top-level browsing context from cross-origin windows — without it, popup-based side-channel attacks remain possible.

Learn more ▾

Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy: same-origin prevents cross-origin pages from sharing a browsing-context group with yours. This blocks cross-window references that enable Spectre-style timing attacks and tab-nabbing. Required if you want to enable SharedArrayBuffer.

Source: MDN / web.dev

COEP prevents loading cross-origin resources without explicit permission. Required for SharedArrayBuffer and high-resolution timers.

Expected: require-corp
Why this matters

COEP enforces that all embedded resources opt-in to cross-origin embedding — required for cross-origin isolation features.

Learn more ▾

Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy: require-corp ensures every embedded resource (script, iframe, image) explicitly allows being loaded cross-origin. Combined with COOP, this enables the cross-origin-isolated context that unlocks SharedArrayBuffer, high-resolution timers, and other powerful APIs.

Source: MDN / web.dev

A+
TLS & Certificates
TLS 1.3, 7 checks passed
PASS
TLS 1.3, 7 checks passed
Info::
TLS 1.3 is used
Got: TLS 1.3
Info::
Strong cipher suite is used
Got: TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
Info::
HTTP/2 is not negotiated
HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance.
Got: http/1.1
Info::
Certificate is valid (expires in 217 days)
Got: 2026-11-08T14:25:21Z
Info::
Certificate chain has 2 certificates
Info::
Certificate uses modern signature algorithm
Got: SHA256-RSA
Info::
Certificate covers 32 domain(s)
Got: theguardian.com, *.code.dev-guardianapis.com, *.code.dev-theguardian.com, *.dev-theguardian.com, *.editorial.theguardian.com, *.email.theguardian.com, *.guardian.co.uk, *.guardianapis.com, *.guim.co.uk, *.guimcode.co.uk, *.ophan.co.uk, *.qa.dev-guardianapis.com, *.service.theguardian.com, *.theguardian.co.uk, *.theguardian.com, *.theguardian.design, api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk, code.api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk, dev-gutools.co.uk, dev-theguardian.com, guardian.co.uk, guim.co.uk, gutools.co.uk, i.guimcode.co.uk, media.guim.co.uk, subscribe.theguardian.com, theguardian.co.uk, theguardian.design, *.wordiply.com, wordiply.com, theguardianfoundation.org, theguardian.org
Info::
Certificate is issued by a trusted CA
Got: CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2025 Q3,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE

HTTP/2 provides multiplexing and header compression for better performance.

Why this matters

HTTP/1.1 forces the browser to make sequential requests, multiplying latency on every page.

Learn more ▾

HTTP/2 (and HTTP/3) multiplex many requests over a single connection, eliminating head-of-line blocking. HTTP/1.1 forces the browser to either queue requests or open many parallel connections — both worse. Most modern web servers support HTTP/2 with one config line.

Source: MDN Web Docs

Connection
Protocol
TLS 1.3
Cipher Suite
TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
HTTP Version
HTTP/1.1

Certificate Chain

Leaf Certificate
Subject CN=theguardian.comIssuer CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2025 Q3,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEValid 2025-10-07T14:25:22Z → 2026-11-08T14:25:21ZExpires in 217 days SANs theguardian.com, *.code.dev-guardianapis.com, *.code.dev-theguardian.com, *.dev-theguardian.com, *.editorial.theguardian.com, *.email.theguardian.com, *.guardian.co.uk, *.guardianapis.com, *.guim.co.uk, *.guimcode.co.uk, *.ophan.co.uk, *.qa.dev-guardianapis.com, *.service.theguardian.com, *.theguardian.co.uk, *.theguardian.com, *.theguardian.design, api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk, code.api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk, dev-gutools.co.uk, dev-theguardian.com, guardian.co.uk, guim.co.uk, gutools.co.uk, i.guimcode.co.uk, media.guim.co.uk, subscribe.theguardian.com, theguardian.co.uk, theguardian.design, *.wordiply.com, wordiply.com, theguardianfoundation.org, theguardian.orgSignature SHA256-RSASerial 179963cf3a0a3a2fe8393389d750048
Intermediate (CA Certificate)
Subject CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2025 Q3,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEIssuer CN=GlobalSign,OU=GlobalSign Root CA - R3,O=GlobalSignValid 2025-04-16T03:14:06Z → 2027-04-16T00:00:00ZExpires in 376 days Signature SHA256-RSASerial 83431c440db4d0f7867afe7c3a53cc2d
A+
JS Library Vulnerabilities
No known vulnerabilities
PASS
No known vulnerabilities
Info::
No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected

No known JavaScript library vulnerabilities detected.

A+
Information Leakage
No exposures
PASS
No exposures
Info::
security.txt is present — good practice
Info::
No sensitive files exposed

No sensitive files exposed — all paths returned 404.

PathStatusCategoryRisk
/.git/HEAD✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.git/config✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.svn/entries✓ Not foundVersion Control—
/.env✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.env.local✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.env.production✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/wp-config.php✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/.htaccess✓ Not foundConfiguration—
/phpinfo.php✓ Not foundDebug—
/server-status✓ Not foundDebug—
/server-info✓ Not foundDebug—
/.well-known/security.txt✗ ExposedSecurity PolicyInfo
A+
Permissions-Policy
7 directives, 2 missing
PASS
7 directives, 2 missing
Info::
camera=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
microphone=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
midi=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
geolocation=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
interest-cohort=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
clipboard-read=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
unload=() — blocked for all origins
Info::
payment not restricted
Consider adding payment=() to block payment access from embedded content.
Info::
usb not restricted
Consider adding usb=() to block usb access from embedded content.

Raw Header

camera=() microphone=() midi=() geolocation=() interest-cohort=() clipboard-read=() unload=()

Feature Permissions

Blocked Self Only Unrestricted Not Set
camera Blocked
microphone Blocked
midi Blocked
geolocation Blocked
interest-cohort Blocked
clipboard-read Blocked
unload Blocked
payment Not Set
usb Not Set
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

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