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Interview question · Application & API Security

Explain the same-origin policy, CORS and CSRF. Does using JWTs prevent CSRF?

Three browser rules that candidates mix up constantly. The JWT follow-up exposes whether you know which one depends on cookies.

mediumEssentialNewPreparation tags: Google, Meta, MicrosoftUpdated Nov 2026

Three browser rules that candidates mix up constantly. The JWT follow-up exposes whether you know which one depends on cookies.

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What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

A banking site uses a session cookie, and a malicious page the user visits contains a form that posts to the bank's transfer endpoint.

  1. What does the same-origin policy stop, and what does it not?
  2. What is CSRF here?
  3. How do you defend against it?
  4. What is CORS, and is it a CSRF defence?
  5. Do JWTs prevent CSRF?
  6. How would you protect the transfer endpoint?

Each rung has a nudge, a model answer, the principle that carries over and the weak answer to avoid. Sign in free to open it.

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