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Content Sniffing Protection Control
To prevent browsers from incorrectly interpreting files as executable scripts, Salesforce admins should enable "Enable Content Sniffing Protection" within the Session Settings menu.
Control Name
Content Sniffing Protection
Recommended Configuration
- Enable Content Sniffing protection
Setup>Session Settings>Content Sniffing Protection.
Control Overview
To prevent browsers from incorrectly interpreting files as executable scripts, Salesforce admins should enable "Enable Content Sniffing Protection" within the Session Settings menu to enforce the X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff header.
Security Risk If Not Configured
Not enabling Content Sniffing Protection allows browsers to ignore the server's declared file type and "guess" the MIME type based on a file's content, creating a vulnerability where a browser can execute a harmless-looking file (like an image or text file) as a malicious script. This oversight significantly increases the risk of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and drive-by download attacks.
Threat Scenarios
An attacker uploads a malicious JavaScript payload disguised as a harmless .png or .txt file to a Salesforce Case or Experience Cloud portal. Without content sniffing protection enabled, an unsuspecting user's browser "guesses" the file's true nature and executes the hidden script, allowing the attacker to silently steal the user’s active session cookies and exfiltrate sensitive data.
Estimated CVSS Score Range
Critical (9.0–10.0).
Risk Impact Considerations
N/A
Higher Risk When
The risk of MIME sniffing is significantly compounded by a lack of a robust Content Security Policy (CSP), which would otherwise serve as a secondary defense to block the execution of unauthorized scripts.
Low or No Risk When
To offset the absence of content sniffing protection, organizations should implement a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) that explicitly blocks the execution of unauthorized or inline scripts, acting as a secondary firewall against "sniffed" payloads.
Also, deploying automated malware and file-type scanning for all uploads ensures that malicious files—scripts disguised as images—are intercepted and neutralized before a browser ever has the chance to misinterpret them.
Business and Integration Considerations
N/A
Recommended Remediation
Enable content sniffing protection.
Security Health Review Guidance
Security Health Review inspects the Session Settings configuration to verify Content Sniffing Protection is enabled, aligning with industry best practice.
