What is dns-prefetch-control?
The dns-prefetch-control npm package is used to control browser DNS prefetching, which can help improve privacy and security by preventing the browser from prefetching DNS for links on a webpage. This can be particularly useful in mitigating certain types of attacks and reducing unnecessary DNS lookups.
What are dns-prefetch-control's main functionalities?
Disable DNS Prefetching
This feature allows you to disable DNS prefetching for your web application. By setting `allow` to `false`, the package will add the appropriate HTTP headers to prevent the browser from prefetching DNS for links on the page.
const dnsPrefetchControl = require('dns-prefetch-control');
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.use(dnsPrefetchControl({ allow: false }));
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('DNS prefetching is disabled');
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});
Enable DNS Prefetching
This feature allows you to enable DNS prefetching for your web application. By setting `allow` to `true`, the package will add the appropriate HTTP headers to allow the browser to prefetch DNS for links on the page.
const dnsPrefetchControl = require('dns-prefetch-control');
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.use(dnsPrefetchControl({ allow: true }));
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send('DNS prefetching is enabled');
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server is running on port 3000');
});
Other packages similar to dns-prefetch-control
helmet
Helmet is a comprehensive security middleware for Express.js applications. It helps secure your apps by setting various HTTP headers, including DNS prefetch control. Helmet's `dnsPrefetchControl` middleware can be used to achieve similar functionality as the dns-prefetch-control package, but Helmet also provides additional security features such as content security policy, XSS protection, and more.
hsts
The hsts package is used to enforce HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) in web applications. While its primary focus is on HSTS, it also provides options to control other security-related headers, including DNS prefetching. This package is useful if you need to enforce HSTS and control DNS prefetching simultaneously.
This middleware lets you set the X-DNS-Prefetch-Control
to control browsers' DNS prefetching. Read more about it on MDN and on Chromium's docs.
Usage:
const dnsPrefetchControl = require('dns-prefetch-control')
app.use(dnsPrefetchControl())
app.use(dnsPrefetchControl({ allow: false }))
app.use(dnsPrefetchControl({ allow: true }))