Skip to content
https://buzzfeed.com

Security

· 13 checks — HTTP headers, CSP, TLS handshake, and cookie hygiene rolled into one auditable list.
SCORE
71
GRADE
C
FIX
4
REVIEW
4
PASS
5
INFO
0
Checks
13
5 PASS 4 REVIEW 4 FIX
D
Security Headers
Action
4 of 10 headers properly configured
FIX
4 of 10 headers properly configured
Warning::
HSTS is missing includeSubDomains
Without includeSubDomains, subdomains can still be accessed over HTTP.
Got: max-age=31536000; preload Expected: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Warning::
X-Content-Type-Options header is missing
This header prevents MIME-type sniffing, which can lead to XSS attacks. Set it to 'nosniff'.
Expected: nosniff
Info::
X-Frame-Options is properly configured
Got: SAMEORIGIN
Warning::
Referrer-Policy header is missing
Controls how much referrer information is sent with requests. Set to 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin' or stricter.
Expected: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
Warning::
Permissions-Policy header is missing
Controls which browser features (camera, microphone, geolocation) are allowed. Set it to restrict unused features.
Expected: geolocation=(), camera=(), microphone=()
Info::
Content-Security-Policy is present
Got: upgrade-insecure-requests
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 present without version info
Got: Varnish

Without includeSubDomains, subdomains can still be accessed over HTTP.

Expected: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Why this matters

Without includeSubDomains, a forgotten dev subdomain over HTTP can set malicious cookies that ride to the apex.

Learn more

HSTS without includeSubDomains protects only the exact domain. Cookies set on a non-HSTS subdomain can ride to the apex via cookie-scope attacks. The fix is one directive append. Verify all subdomains support HTTPS first — adding includeSubDomains to a domain with HTTP-only subdomains breaks them.

Source: RFC 6797

This header prevents MIME-type sniffing, which can lead to XSS attacks. Set it to 'nosniff'.

Expected: nosniff
Why this matters

MIME sniffing lets browsers run uploaded files as JavaScript, turning a file upload into an XSS.

Learn more

Setting X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff tells browsers to trust your declared Content-Type instead of guessing. Without it, an attacker who uploads a polyglot file can sometimes get it executed as a script. One header, no downside.

Source: OWASP / MDN

Controls how much referrer information is sent with requests. Set to 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin' or stricter.

Expected: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
Why this matters

Default browser behavior leaks full URLs (including query params and tokens) to every third-party resource — set a strict policy.

Learn more

Without a Referrer-Policy header, browsers send the full referring URL with images, scripts, and fonts loaded from third-party origins. URLs containing tokens, user IDs, or session params end up in third-party logs. Set `Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin` (or stricter) to limit leakage.

Source: MDN / W3C

Controls which browser features (camera, microphone, geolocation) are allowed. Set it to restrict unused features.

Expected: geolocation=(), camera=(), microphone=()
Why this matters

Permissions-Policy locks down browser APIs you don't use — without it, every page can request camera/mic/geolocation if XSS lands.

Learn more

By default every page can request the camera, microphone, geolocation, payment APIs, and dozens more. Permissions-Policy turns off the ones you don't need so a future bug can't quietly start using them. It's a defense-in-depth header — one line, big surface reduction.

Source: MDN / W3C

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

D
Cookie Security
Action
2 cookies analyzed, 0 checks passed
FIX
2 cookies analyzed, 0 checks passed
Critical::
Cookie 'bf-geo-country' is missing the Secure flag
Without the Secure flag, this cookie can be sent over unencrypted HTTP, exposing it to interception.
Warning::
Cookie 'bf-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 'bf-geo-country' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
Critical::
Cookie 'gdpr' is missing the Secure flag
Without the Secure flag, this cookie can be sent over unencrypted HTTP, exposing it to interception.
Warning::
Cookie 'gdpr' is missing the HttpOnly flag
Without HttpOnly, this cookie can be accessed by JavaScript, making it vulnerable to XSS-based theft.
Warning::
Cookie 'gdpr' has no SameSite attribute
Without an explicit SameSite attribute, browser default behavior varies. Set SameSite=Lax or Strict.
2 cookies analyzed 2 critical 4 warnings
NameSecureHttpOnlySameSiteSizeIssues
bf-geo-country16 B3
gdpr8 B3
F
Subresource Integrity
Action
0 of 8 external resources have SRI
FIX
0 of 8 external resources have SRI
Warning::
External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js
Warning::
External script from cdn.cookielaw.org lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js
Warning::
External script from www.buzzfeed.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://www.buzzfeed.com/static-assets/bf-header-ui/buzzfeed/app.f61e19c30d169cacd52a.js
Warning::
External script from sb.scorecardresearch.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/cs/6768151/beacon.js
Warning::
External script from pagead2.googlesyndication.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: //pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js
Warning::
External script from securepubads.g.doubleclick.net lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/managed/js/gpt/m202604170101/pubads_impl.js?cb=31097963
Warning::
External link from accounts.google.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://accounts.google.com/gsi/style
Warning::
External script from accounts.google.com lacks integrity attribute
Without SRI, if this CDN is compromised, attackers could inject malicious code.
Got: https://accounts.google.com/gsi/client
SRI Coverage 0 / 8 of external resources have integrity hashes
TagDomainIntegrity
<script>securepubads.g.doubleclick.net Missing
<script>cdn.cookielaw.org Missing
<script>www.buzzfeed.com Missing
<script>sb.scorecardresearch.com Missing
<script>pagead2.googlesyndication.com Missing
<script>securepubads.g.doubleclick.net Missing
<link>accounts.google.com Missing
<script>accounts.google.com Missing
D
Permissions-Policy
Action
No header set
FIX
No header set
Warning::
No Permissions-Policy header
Consider adding a Permissions-Policy header to restrict browser feature access from embedded content.

No Permissions-Policy header set.

Without this header, embedded iframes can request access to sensitive device features.

Suggested header
Permissions-Policy: camera=(), microphone=(), geolocation=(), payment=(), usb=()
C
Content Security Policy
Action
2 of 10 CSP checks passed
REVIEW
2 of 10 CSP checks passed
Info::
Raw CSP policy
Got: upgrade-insecure-requests
Warning::
default-src directive is missing
default-src provides a fallback for other directives. Set it to restrict default resource loading.
Expected: default-src 'self'
Info::
No script-src or default-src to check for 'unsafe-inline'
Info::
No script-src or default-src to check for 'unsafe-eval'
Info::
No script-src or default-src to check for wildcard
Info::
object-src falls back to default-src
Warning::
base-uri directive is missing
Without base-uri, attackers can inject a <base> tag to hijack relative URLs. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.
Expected: base-uri 'self'
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

default-src provides a fallback for other directives. Set it to restrict default resource loading.

Expected: default-src 'self'
Why this matters

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

Without base-uri, attackers can inject a <base> tag to hijack relative URLs. Set it to 'self' or 'none'.

Expected: base-uri 'self'
Why this matters

Missing base-uri in CSP leaves a base-tag injection attack path open even on otherwise strict policies.

Learn more

A common omission: developers add CSP for script-src and frame-ancestors but forget base-uri. The result is a CSP that looks strict but lets an attacker rewrite every URL on the page via <base href>. Add `base-uri 'self'` to close the gap.

Source: MDN CSP

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
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
C
Known vulnerability matches
Action
1 known vulnerability match(es) against detected tech
REVIEW

Known Vulnerabilities

LibraryVersionSeveritySummaryFixed In
Lodash4.17.21medium### Impact Lodash versions 4.0.0 through 4.17.22 are vulnerable to prototype pollution in the `_.unset` and `_.omit` functions. An attacker can pass crafted paths which cause Lodash to delete methods from global prototypes. The issue permits deletion of properties but does not allow overwriting their original behavior. ### Patches This issue is patched on 4.17.23.4.17.23
B
security.txt
Published with 1 contact(s)
REVIEW

security.txt

Contact: https://www.buzzfeed.com/bug-bounty-program
Expires: 2025-10-31T00:00:00z
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 179 days)
Got: 2026-10-18T13:03:38Z
Info::
Certificate chain has 2 certificates
Info::
Certificate uses modern signature algorithm
Got: SHA256-RSA
Info::
Certificate covers 16 domain(s)
Got: *.buzzfeed.com, *.buzzfeed.bio, *.buzzfeednews.com, *.bzfd.bio, *.contagiousmedia.com, *.tasty.co, buzzfeed.bio, buzzfeed.com, buzzfeednews.com, bzfd.bio, contagiousmedia.com, tasty.co, www-stage.buzzfeed.com, www.buzzfeed.com, *.buzzfeed.io, *.stage.buzzfeed.com
Info::
Certificate is issued by a trusted CA
Got: CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,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=*.buzzfeed.comIssuer CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEValid 2026-04-02T14:03:38Z → 2026-10-18T13:03:38ZExpires in 179 days SANs *.buzzfeed.com, *.buzzfeed.bio, *.buzzfeednews.com, *.bzfd.bio, *.contagiousmedia.com, *.tasty.co, buzzfeed.bio, buzzfeed.com, buzzfeednews.com, bzfd.bio, contagiousmedia.com, tasty.co, www-stage.buzzfeed.com, www.buzzfeed.com, *.buzzfeed.io, *.stage.buzzfeed.comSignature SHA256-RSASerial 11d5c639595670982a6ae353384ef8c
Intermediate (CA Certificate)
Subject CN=GlobalSign Atlas R3 DV TLS CA 2026 Q1,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BEIssuer CN=GlobalSign,OU=GlobalSign Root CA - R3,O=GlobalSignValid 2025-10-15T03:09:08Z → 2027-10-15T00:00:00ZExpires in 541 days Signature SHA256-RSASerial 8471f40b67f0de163dd163a95fa7dac3
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
Email Security
DMARC: quarantine
PASS
DMARC: quarantine
Info::
DMARC policy is quarantine — good protection
DMARC
Policy quarantine — good protection Record v=DMARC1; p=quarantine;pct=100; rua=mailto:buzzfeed+dmarc@buzzfeed.com,mailto:z81afvrt@ag.dmarcian.com; ruf=mailto:buzzfeed+dmarc@buzzfeed.com,mailto:z81afvrt@fr.dmarcian.com
A
Transport Security
HTTP/3, HSTS, and TLS version analysis
PASS
HTTP/3, HSTS, and TLS version analysis
Info::
HTTP/3 (QUIC) not advertised
HTTP/3 eliminates head-of-line blocking. If your CDN supports it, consider enabling it.
Info::
HSTS enabled (preload)
Info::
HSTS missing includeSubDomains
Without includeSubDomains, HSTS only protects the exact domain.
Info::
HSTS preload enabled
Info::
TLS 1.3 in use (fastest handshake, 1-RTT)
All checks on this page are automated. Results are estimates - run targeted manual reviews when the score affects a release decision.

Send Feedback