Скачать или смотреть Handling CSRF Authenticity Tokens in navigator.sendBeacon Requests in Rails

Learn how to effectively manage CSRF authenticity tokens for `navigator.sendBeacon` requests in your Ruby on Rails application to prevent common errors and enhance security.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/49946055/ asked by the user 'Marvin Danig' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/605396/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/62811153/ provided by the user 'Matt Newell' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4105548/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Handling CSRF Authenticity Tokens in navigator.sendBeacon Requests in Rails

In web development, ensuring security while sending data to the server is paramount, especially when dealing with potentially dangerous actions like form submissions. One common challenge developers face while sending data is handling Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection tokens. This post will guide you through the process of properly managing CSRF authenticity tokens in requests made with the navigator.sendBeacon method when working with Ruby on Rails.

Understanding the Problem

When using navigator.sendBeacon, you might encounter issues related to CSRF token authenticity. CSRF tokens are essential for protecting your application against unauthorized commands being transmitted from an authenticated user. If the request sent does not include this token, Rails will refuse to accept it, leading to errors such as:

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In this article, we’ll first review a common scenario where this problem arises and then walk through an effective solution.

Common Errors Encountered

A typical error message you might see when attempting to send a beacon request without the proper CSRF token may look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This indicates that the payload being sent is missing the required token, leading to the inability of the server to authenticate the request. Below we’ll explore how to remedy this correctly.

Solution: Sending Data with CSRF Tokens

To ensure that your navigator.sendBeacon requests include the necessary CSRF authenticity token, follow these steps:

Step 1: Setup Rails Routes

In your routes.rb file, ensure you have the routes set up to receive the data. Here’s a quick example setup:

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Step 2: Create the Controller Methods

In your controller (e.g., AnalyticsController), make sure you have methods defined to handle these routes. The auth_token method will provide the authenticity token, while the receptor will handle the actual POST request data.

Here’s how your controller might look:

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Step 3: Extracting the CSRF Token

On the frontend, you need to fetch the CSRF token before sending a beacon request. Use the following JavaScript code to achieve this effectively:

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In this script:

We fetch the CSRF token from the meta tag in the document, where Rails typically sets it.

We then create a FormData object to hold both your regular data and the CSRF token.

Finally, we send the data using navigator.sendBeacon, which is excellent for sending data when the page is being unloaded.

Step 4: Testing Your Implementation

Finally, make sure to test your implementation thoroughly. Load the page, trigger actions that should send your beacon requests, and verify that the Rails backend processes the requests correctly without any CSRF errors.

Conclusion

By following this approach, you can seamlessly integrate CSRF token authentication into your navigator.sendBeacon requests, ensuring that your Rails application remains secure while handling background tasks effectively. Remember, security is a continuous aspect of development, and handling CSRF tokens correctly is pivotal for maintaining the integrity of your application.

Final Note

If you encounter additional challenges or unique scenarios specific to your application's architecture, don't hesitate to reach out for advice. Happy coding!