What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) primarily used to achieve?

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is primarily used by attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. The main goal of these attacks is to steal sensitive information, particularly cookies and session data. By exploiting XSS vulnerabilities, attackers can execute scripts in the context of a user's browser, allowing them to access stored cookies, which often contain session tokens or authentication credentials. This unauthorized access can lead to account hijacking or unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of the user without their knowledge.

While other choices touch on network security, they do not accurately represent the specific threat that XSS poses in the context of web application vulnerabilities. Networking vulnerabilities, secure data transmission, and TCP/IP stack auditing are distinct areas of focus in cybersecurity, but they do not correspond directly with the mechanisms and goals of XSS attacks. The essence of XSS lies in manipulating client-side scripts to compromise user data rather than exploiting network-level issues or enhancing security measures.