HTML5 iframe element

The HTML5 iframe element can be used to solve security and design issues in embedded Web content.

The main feature of the iframe element is the sandbox attribute (in TV applications):

To enhance application security, you can use the sandbox attribute of the iframe object to control the execution of tasks that can result in unreliable content.
If an empty value is assigned to the sandbox attribute, the following restrictions are applied:
- Content is treated as belonging to a unique origin. Access to cookies, local storage, and other pages within the same domain are not allowed.
- Form submission is disabled.
- Script execution is disabled.
- Link navigation is disabled.
- Plug-ins are disabled.
- Pop-ups are disabled.
To work around these restrictions, you can use the following additional security restriction conditions:
- allow-same-origin
  Enables the content to be treated as belonging to the same origin.
- allow-top-navigation
  Enables navigation for the top-level browsing context.
- allow-forms
  Enables form submission.
- allow-scripts
  Enables script execution, but blocks pop-ups.
- allow-popups
  Enables opening a pop-up window from the sandboxed element.

Note
The scrolling, align, frameborder, marginheight, marginwidth, longdesc, and seamless HTML5 attributes are no longer supported in the latest HTML5 version.

Access sandboxed cookies

Learning how to control iframe element content when accessing the cookies of the parent document enhances the security features of your application:

Create an <input> element of the checkbox type that enables the sandbox activation. In addition, create an iframe element with the sandbox property (in TV applications). To allow script execution in the iframe element content and cookie access, set the sandbox attribute value as allow-same-origin:

<input type="checkbox" id="chkSandbox" name="chkSandbox"
       onclick="setSandbox()"/> Enable Sandbox
<div id="description" style="padding: 10px; margin: 10px;"></div>

<iframe src="iframe_cookie_stolen.html"
        sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin"
        id="iframe"
        width="100%" height="350px"
        style="border: 1px solid #DCDCDC;"></iframe>

Create a test cookie:

<script>
    SetCookie('userid', 'example@tizen.org', 7);

    function SetCookie(name, value, expiredays) {
        var today = new Date();
        today.setDate(today.getDate() + expiredays);
        document.cookie = name + '=' + escape(value) +
                          '; path=/; expires=' + today.toGMTString() + ';';
    }
</script>

To block cookie access, remove the allow-same-origin attribute from the sandbox attribute value:

<script>
    function setSandbox() {
        var checkbox = document.querySelector('#chkSandbox');
        var frame = document.querySelector('#iframe');
        var frameInfo = '', flag = '';

        if (checkbox.checked) {
            /* Access to cookies within the same domain is not allowed */
            flag = 'allow-scripts';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts"></iframe>';
        } else {
            /* Access to cookies within the same domain is allowed */
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-same-origin';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin"></iframe>';
        }

        frame.setAttribute('sandbox', flag);
        frame.setAttribute('src', 'iframe_cookie_stolen.html');
        document.querySelector('#description').textContent = frameInfo;
    }
</script>

Display the result:
```
<div id="message"></div>
```

If the sandboxing functionality is active, a message is displayed. If the sandboxing functionality is inactive, the imported cookie is displayed:

<script>
    window.onload = function() {
        var message = document.getElementById('message');
        try {
            message.innerHTML = '<h3>stole parent window\'s cookie</h3> userid: ' + GetCookie('userid');
        } catch (e) {
            message.innerHTML = '<h3>HTML5 Sandbox blocked access to cookies.</h3>';
        }
    };

    function GetCookie(Name) {
        var search = Name + '='

        if (document.cookie.length > 0) {
            offset = document.cookie.indexOf(search);

            if (offset != -1) {
                offset += search.length;
                end = document.cookie.indexOf(';', offset);

                if (end == -1)
                    end = document.cookie.length;

                return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, end));
            }
        }

        return '';
    }
</script>

Figure: Sandbox cookie access (Optional feature)

Sandbox cookie access

Source code

For the complete source code related to this use case, see the following files:

Redirect a sandboxed page

Learning how to control iframe element content when redirecting a page enhances the security features of your application:

Create an <input> element of the checkbox type that disables the sandbox. In addition, create an iframe element with the sandbox property (in TV applications):

<input type="checkbox" id="chkSandbox" name="chkSandbox"
       onclick="setSandbox()"/> Disable Sandbox
<div id="description" style="padding: 10px; margin: 10px;"></div>

<iframe src="iframe_page_redirection.html"
        sandbox="allow-scripts"
        id="iframe"></iframe>

If the sandbox attribute is deactivated, set the allow-top-navigation attribute to the sandbox attribute value:

<script>
    function setSandbox() {
        var checkbox = document.querySelector('#chkSandbox');
        var frame = document.querySelector('#iframe');
        var frameInfo = '', flag = '';

        if (checkbox.checked) {
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-top-navigation';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-top-navigation"></iframe>';
        } else {
            flag = 'allow-scripts';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts"></iframe>';
        }

        frame.setAttribute('sandbox', flag);
        frame.setAttribute('src', 'iframe_page_redirection.html');
        document.querySelector('#description').textContent = frameInfo;
    }
</script>

Include the image displayed on the page:

<img id="img" alt="Tizen Lockup on Dark"
     src="http://www.tizen.org/sites/default/files/admins/tizen-branding-lockup-on-dark.png"
     onclick="alert('fake advertisement!');"
     width="240" height="103"/>

If the page redirection is blocked, a message is displayed. If not, the user is redirected to the warning.html page:

<script>
    try {
        location = 'warning.html';
    } catch (e) {
        alert('HTML5 Sandbox prevented top-level navigation.');
    }
</script>

Figure: Sandbox page redirection (Optional feature)

Sandbox page redirection

Source code

For the complete source code related to this use case, see the following files:

Submit a sandboxed form

Learning how to control iframe element content when submitting a form enhances the security features of your application:

Create an <input> element of the checkbox type that enables the sandbox activation. In addition, create an iframe element with the sandbox property (in TV applications). To allow form submission, set the sandbox attribute value as allow-forms:

<input type="checkbox" id="chkSandbox" name="chkSandbox"
       onclick="setSandbox()"/> Enable Sandbox
<div id="description" style="padding: 10px; margin: 10px;"></div>

<iframe src="iframe_form_submission.html"
        sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms"
        width="100%" height="200px"></iframe>

If the sandbox attribute is activated, remove the allow-forms attribute from the sandbox attribute value:

<script>
    function setSandbox() {
        var checkbox = document.querySelector('#chkSandbox');
        var frame = document.querySelector('#iframe');
        var frameInfo = '', flag = '';

        if (checkbox.checked) {
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-same-origin';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin"></iframe>';
        } else {
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms"></iframe>';
        }

        frame.setAttribute('sandbox', flag);
        frame.setAttribute('src', 'iframe_form_submission.html');
        document.querySelector('#description').textContent = frameInfo;
    }
</script>

Create a form for the login screen with <input> elements to enter an email and password, and submit them:

<form method="get" action="iframe_form_submission.html">
   <h3>Advertisement, SNS</h3>

   <fieldset>
      <legend>Login</legend>
      <input type="text" id="email" name="email" placeholder="e-mail address" required />
      <input type="password" id="password" name="password" placeholder="password" required />
   </fieldset>
   <input type="submit" value="Login"/>
</form>

If the sandbox attribute is deactivated, the imported login information is displayed:

<script>
    window.onload = function() {
        var html;

        if (location.href.indexOf('?') >= 0) {
            html = ['<div id='message'>',
                   '<h3>Catches login qualification certifying information</h3>',
                   (location.href.split('?')[1]).replace('&', '<br/>'),
                   '</div>'].join('');

            document.body.innerHTML = html;
        }
    };
</script>

Figure: Sandbox form submission (Optional feature)

Sandbox form submission

Source code

For the complete source code related to this use case, see the following files:

Manage sandboxed pop-ups

Learning how to control the opening of the iframe element content enhances the security features of your application:

Create an <input> element of the checkbox type that enables the sandbox activation. In addition, create an iframe element with the sandbox property (in TV applications). To allow pop-ups, set the sandbox attribute value as allow-popups:

<input type="checkbox" id="chkSandbox" name="chkSandbox"
         onclick="setSandbox()"/> Enable Sandbox
<div id="description" style="padding:10 px; margin:10 px;"></div>

<iframe src="iframe_popup.html"
       sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups"
       id="iframe"
       style="border: 1px solid #DCDCDC;"></iframe>

If the sandbox attribute is activated, remove the allow-popups flag from the sandbox attribute value:

<script>
    function setSandbox() {
        var checkbox = document.querySelector('#chkSandbox');
        var frame = document.querySelector('#iframe');
        var frameInfo = '', flag ='';

        if (checkbox.checked) {
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-same-origin';
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin"></iframe>';
        } else {
            flag = 'allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups'
            frameInfo = '<iframe src sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups"></iframe>';
        }

        frame.setAttribute('sandbox', flag);
        frame.setAttribute('src', 'iframe_popup.html');
        document.querySelector('#description').textContent = frameInfo;
    }
</script>

Create an external link in the iframe element:

<p>[<a href="https://www.tizen.org/about" target="_blank">Click Link!</a>]</p>

Figure: Sandbox pop-up (Optional feature)

Sandbox pop-up

Source code

For the complete source code related to this use case, see the following files:

Dependencies
- Tizen 2.4 and Higher
- Tizen 3.0 and Higher for TV
API References
- W3C

HTML5 iframe element

Access sandboxed cookies

Source code

Redirect a sandboxed page

Source code

Submit a sandboxed form

Source code

Manage sandboxed pop-ups

Source code

Related information