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Interview question · Application & API Security

Write a safe validator for redirect URLs, and explain why open redirects matter.

URL validation is where string checks fail most visibly. The scored answer parses, resolves and allowlists, then tests the classic bypasses.

mediumNewPreparation tags: Google, Microsoft, MetaUpdated Nov 2026

URL validation is where string checks fail most visibly. The scored answer parses, resolves and allowlists, then tests the classic bypasses.

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  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.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

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

A login page redirects users to a URL given in a 'next' parameter after sign-in, and the same pattern is used in the OAuth callback.

  1. Why is an open redirect a problem?
  2. How do you validate the target?
  3. What tricks bypass naive checks?
  4. What is a simpler design?
  5. Why does the OAuth case matter especially?
  6. How would you fix the redirects?

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