Subresource Integrity
SRI — cryptographic hash to verify third-party resource integrity.
Stack Components
Why
Prevents tampered CDN resources from executing, browser-enforced. Verizon DBIR 2024: 68% of breaches involve human error.
Snyk and Dependabot scan 500k+ npm packages for CVEs, and OWASP Top 10 hasn't changed much — injection and broken auth remain #1 and #2.
When
Use for third-party scripts/styles. Avoid for self-hosted assets.
How
Example
Common Problems
- ⚠Hash mismatch on update — regenerate hash
- ⚠CORS — add crossorigin attribute
- ⚠Configuration drift between environments — use infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/Pulumi) to keep dev/staging/prod identical
Best Practices
- ✓Use sha384 for strong hashing
- ✓Automate hash generation in build
- ✓Set up health checks and graceful shutdown — handle SIGTERM to drain in-flight requests before exit
FAQ
What is Subresource Integrity and what projects is it for?
SRI — cryptographic hash to verify third-party resource integrity. It pairs layered technologies for end-to-end type safety and out-of-the-box deploys, fitting everything from MVPs to production SaaS.
How do I spin up a working demo with Subresource Integrity in 10 minutes?
Two steps: (1) Generate hash with openssl; (2) Add integrity attribute. Get the local dev server running, then wire one real data source to verify the end-to-end loop.
What is the most common pitfall with Subresource Integrity and how do I avoid it?
The most common pitfall is: Hash mismatch on update — regenerate hash. Avoid it by adding the matching checklist to your PR template and running type-check + lint + unit tests in CI — three gates before merge.
What are the best practices for Subresource Integrity?
Best practices for Subresource Integrity include: Use sha384 for strong hashing; Automate hash generation in build; Set up health checks and graceful shutdown — handle SIGTERM to drain in-flight requests before exit. The first one — "Use sha384 for strong hashing" — should be set up at project init to avoid costly rework later.
When should I NOT choose Subresource Integrity?
Pick something else in three cases: (1) the team has zero experience with the core framework and the deadline is tight (learning-curve risk); (2) it's a pure content/marketing site (Astro is lighter); (3) you need very high throughput (>10k RPS) or strict-consistency microservices (Go/Rust). Subresource Integrity shines for mid-to-high complexity full-stack and API work — don't over-engineer simple static pages with it.