Introduction

The Referrer-Policy header is an important security feature that controls how much referrer information is sent with each request. Unfortunately, it's often missing in modern frameworks, leaving your application vulnerable to security threats. In this article, we'll explore how to fix the missing Referrer-Policy in popular frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.

Why is Referrer-Policy Important?

The Referrer-Policy header determines the amount of information sent in the Referer request header. This information can include the full URL of the referring page, which may contain sensitive data like authentication tokens or user IDs. By controlling the referrer information, you can prevent potential security risks and protect your users' data.

Implementing Referrer-Policy in React

To set the Referrer-Policy in a React application, you can use the helmet library. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Install the helmet library

npm install helmet

Step 2: Configure helmet in your React application

// index.js
import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet';

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Helmet>
        <meta http-equiv="Referrer-Policy" content="same-origin" />
      </Helmet>
      // ... rest of your application code ...
    </div>
  );
}

Step 3: Set the Referrer-Policy in your server configuration (if applicable)

If you're using a server-side rendering approach or a dedicated server, don't forget to configure the Referrer-Policy header in your server configuration as well.

Implementing Referrer-Policy in Angular

In Angular, you can set the Referrer-Policy using the Meta service. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Import the Meta service

// app.component.ts
import { Meta } from '@angular/platform-browser';

Step 2: Set the Referrer-Policy in your component

// app.component.ts
export class AppComponent {
  constructor(private meta: Meta) {
    this.meta.addTag({ name: 'referrer', content: 'same-origin' });
  }
}

Step 3: Set the Referrer-Policy in your server configuration (if applicable)

If you're using a server-side rendering approach or a dedicated server, don't forget to configure the Referrer-Policy header in your server configuration as well.

Implementing Referrer-Policy in Vue

In Vue, you can set the Referrer-Policy using the vue-meta library. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Install the vue-meta library

npm install vue-meta

Step 2: Configure vue-meta in your Vue application

// main.js
import Vue from 'vue';
import VueMeta from 'vue-meta';

Vue.use(VueMeta);

// ... rest of your application code ...

Step 3: Set the Referrer-Policy in your Vue component

// App.vue
<template>
  // ... rest of your template code ...
</template>

<script>
export default {
  meta() {
    return {
      referrer: 'same-origin',
    };
  },
};
</script>

Step 4: Set the Referrer-Policy in your server configuration (if applicable)

If you're using a server-side rendering approach or a dedicated server, don't forget to configure the Referrer-Policy header in your server configuration as well.

Conclusion

Implementing the Referrer-Policy header is an essential step in securing your modern framework-based application. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set the Referrer-Policy in popular frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue, and protect your users' sensitive data. Remember to also configure the Referrer-Policy header in your server configuration, if applicable.