What are the security considerations when implementing routing in a React application with React Router

Question

Can you tell me What are the security considerations when implementing routing in a React application with React Router?

Answer 1

Security Considerations When Using React Router:

Client-side routing does not enforce security

React Router manages navigation in the browser, but it does not secure routes. Users can manually access any route, so sensitive data and access control must be enforced on the server side.

Protect routes using authentication and authorization checks

Create private or protected routes that check if the user is authenticated before rendering sensitive components. Redirect unauthenticated users to the login page.

Example:

const PrivateRoute = ({ element }) => {

  return isAuthenticated ? element : <Navigate to="/login" />;

};

Avoid exposing sensitive data in the URL

Do not pass tokens or confidential data via query parameters. Use secure storage mechanisms such as HTTP-only cookies.

Implement proper handling of 404 and unauthorized access

Set up fallback routes for unknown paths and restricted pages. This improves both security and user experience.