The document discusses various techniques for enabling cross-domain communication, particularly in web development, and highlights the importance of the Same-Origin Policy that protects data from unauthorized access. It explores methods like PostMessage, JSONP, CORS, and various hacky solutions, noting their advantages and limitations across different browsers. The document emphasizes that while cross-domain communication can be simplified, it also introduces significant security risks.

1. Breaking The Cross Domain Barrier Alex Sexton

2. A Story... AJAX is so nifty! We can do anything! FML :(

3. Same Origin Policy Applies to XMLHTTPRequests Stops hackers from getting our data!

4. Same Origin Policy It’s actually an important rule. You wouldn’t want to have this happen:

5. Same Origin Policy It’s actually an important rule. You wouldn’t want to have this happen:

6. YEA BUT WHAT IF... I own both sites and I just want to make them talk? The site I want information from says it’s okay? I don’t give a shit?!

7. The Solution Post Message.

8. THE END. kthnxbai.

9. <RecordScratch.wav> Browser Vendors have realized that there is a need for cross domain messaging. IE6 ruins your life again and again. There is not a single solution that solves every problem in every browser :(

10. Some Options postMessage JSONP CORS document.domain mods window.name Transport Server-Side Proxy CRAZY IFRAME STUFF MOAR

11. Post Message Just pass messages between window objects! It’s safe(ish) because both pages have to know about it.

12. Post Message Handle the message event in the otherWindow

13. Post Message Passing events along from one window to the other Initializing the state of a new window Synchronizing two pages Most things, but it’s not always practical What’s it good for?

14. Post Message Works In... FF3+ IE8+ Chrome 1+ Safari 4+ Kind of in Opera for a while but it’s a little different but good enough probably so we’ll count it

15. JSONP JavaScript Object Notation with Padding. (dumb I know)

16. JSONEN JavaScript Object Notation Except Not **Formerly JSONP

17. JSON A standard (mostly) created by the Crock. A subset of JavaScript with some extra rules Non-Executable - just for data

18. JSONP JavaScript...

19. JSONP - Why it’s special The ‘P’ <script> tags are not subject to the Same Origin Policy (A total security flaw that will never change)

20. How JSONP Works Step 1: You create a callback function that accepts some data

21. How JSONP Works Step 2: Include a script with a hint of what your function is called. hint-hint

22. How JSONP Works Step 3: Output a script that calls the function and passes in the necessary data.

23. JSONP Is Good For... Data Passing RESTful APIs 1-(way/time)-ish cross domain communication Hacking

24. CORS | Tap the Rockies Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is a W3C Working Draft that defines how the browser and server must communicate when accessing sources across origins.

25. CORS - HOW?

26. CORS - HOW? Use it or lose it

27. CORS - From the Server... CORS sends along an extra header: Your server must send back another, saying it’s ok:

28. CORS - Compatibility IE 8+ (most of it, at least) FF 3.5+ Safari 4+ Chrome Unrelated Graph

29. CORS - What’s it Good For? Not working on 40% of the internet Creating an extra http request (usually only once) Custom grouping options Finer grain control over what’s accessible Access-Control-Allow-Credentials: true Straight Up. Cross Domain XHR (yay!)

30. Document.domain Hackz Good for allowing Cross Sub domain window access Now the subdomain has the same permissions for access Can be very useful even if you don’t own the site, because subdomains can be cnamed to totally different webservers Works in all relevant browsers

31. Window.name HI! I’m Jerry the Window!

32. Window.name Superhacky but safer than jsonp! Works everywhere relevant **This is obviously a little simplified Added to Dojo 2 years ago: http://bugs.dojotoolkit.org/ticket/6893

33. Server Side Proxies Pretty simple concept, only slightly more difficult to implement mySite yourSite myServer http://benalman.com/projects/php-simple-proxy/ Works everywhere XHR does

34. Crazy iFrame Hacks A parent window can’t read just about anything from a child window (iframe) that is on a different domain. A parent window can traverse any known elements in an iframe though. A parent window can set properties on the iframe. FACTS

35. Crazy iFrame Hacks A window can read and write properties of an iframe if it’s on the same domain - EVEN IF it’s inside of another iframe that isn’t on the same domain! a.com b.com a.com

36. Crazy iFrame Hacks If B wants to talk to A a.com b.com a.com Change the url hash on the innermost iframe to the message /#secret

37. Crazy iFrame Hacks If B wants to talk to A a.com b.com a.com Have the top level frame read the message on the hash /#secret

38. Crazy iFrame Hacks Poll for hashchange the entire time Set up iframes to destroy themselves after each message and just wait for the load event Resize the iframe on change, then attach an event handler on the resize event that checks for new data How to know when to receive data Fast (where it works)

39. Crazy iFrame Hacks Works at varying levels of success via some slightly different methods in all relevant browsers Unfortunately often our best choice for something that works everywhere

40. Best of both worlds? EasyXDM A library that will use postMessage first and then a series of different techniques based on which browser you use, but with normalized syntax. http://easyxdm.net/

41. Best of Both Worlds? flXHR / Flash + your own fallback http://flxhr.flensed.com/

42. What about cookies? Cookies are insanely easy to steal , err.. I mean share, across domains with these techniques. With the exception of Safari, cookies are passed from the server along with script includes and iframe injection. (You might need some P3P headers in IE)

43. What about cookies in Safari? Safari doesn’t send cookies along in scripts and iframes, so there’s nothing to send to the parent. Unless you ask nicely...

44. What about cookies in Safari? If we post to an iframe it will thank us by sending cookies http://anantgarg.com/2010/02/18/cross-domain-cookies-in-safari/

45. Why Cookies? If I had a network of sites that I wanted to track you across, it would be easy for me maintain a central cookie and check for it on every site that you enter that contains my code. (<cough>advertisers</cough>) TotallyNotTrackingYou.com Other Sites Holds your unique cookie

46. Lessons With great cross domain communication techniques come great cross domain security holes Safe and FUN cross-domain communication is possible Paul Irish hates cold-cuts , seriously

47. Thanks! Alex Sexton AlexSexton [at] gmail [dot] com @SlexAxton http://yayQuery.com Special Thanks to : yayQuery Peeps, BazaarVoice, Aaron Dixon, Shawn Smith, EasyXDM, flXHR, Mozilla MDC