"CSRF token missing or incorrect" while post parameter via AJAX in Django

Question

I try to post parameter like

 jQuery.ajax(
        {
            'type': 'POST',
            'url': url,
            'contentType': 'application/json',
            'data': "{content:'xxx'}",
            'dataType': 'json',
            'success': rateReviewResult 
        }
    );

However, Django return Forbidden 403. CSRF verification failed. Request aborted. I am using 'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware' and couldn't find how I can prevent this problem without compromising security.

Answer 1

You can make AJAX post request in two different ways:

1. To tell your view not to check the csrf token. This can be done by using decorator @csrf_exempt, like this:

   from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
   
   @csrf_exempt
   def your_view_name(request):
       ...
   

2. To embed a csrf token in each AJAX request, for jQuery it may be:

   $(function () {
       $.ajaxSetup({
           headers: { "X-CSRFToken": getCookie("csrftoken") }
       });
   });
   

   Where the getCookie function retrieves csrf token from cookies. I use the following implementation:

   function getCookie(c_name)
   {
       if (document.cookie.length > 0)
       {
           c_start = document.cookie.indexOf(c_name + "=");
           if (c_start != -1)
           {
               c_start = c_start + c_name.length + 1;
               c_end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", c_start);
               if (c_end == -1) c_end = document.cookie.length;
               return unescape(document.cookie.substring(c_start,c_end));
           }
       }
       return "";
    }
   

   Also, jQuery has a plugin for accessing cookies, something like that:

   // set cookie
   $.cookie('cookiename', 'cookievalue');
   // read cookie
   var myCookie = $.cookie('cookiename');
   // delete cookie
   $.cookie('cookiename', null);
   

Answer 2

The simplest way I have found is to include the {{csrf_token}} value in the data:

jQuery.ajax(
    {
        'type': 'POST',
        'url': url,
        'contentType': 'application/json',
        'data': {
            'content': 'xxx',
            'csrfmiddlewaretoken': '{{ csrf_token }}',
        },
        'dataType': 'json',
        'success': rateReviewResult 
    }
);

Answer 3

It took me a while to understand what to do with the code that Daniel posted. But actually all you have to do is paste it at the beginning of the javascript file.

For me, the best solution so far is:

1. Create a csrf.js file

2. Paste the code in the csrf.js file

3. Reference the code in the template you need it

   <script type="text/javascript" src="{{ STATIC_PREFIX }}js/csrf.js"></script>
   

Notice that STATIC_PREFIX/js/csrf.js points to my file. I am actually loading the STATIC_PREFIX variable with {% get_static_prefix as STATIC_PREFIX %}.

---

Advanced tip: if you are using templates and have something like base.html where you extend from, then you can just reference the script from there and you don't have to worry anymore in there rest of your files. As far as I understand, this shouldn't represent any security issue either.

Answer 4

Simple and short

$.ajaxSetup({
  headers: { "X-CSRFToken": '{{csrf_token}}' }
});

OR

function csrfSafeMethod(method) {
  // these HTTP methods do not require CSRF protection
  return (/^(GET|HEAD|OPTIONS|TRACE)$/.test(method));
}
$.ajaxSetup({
  beforeSend: function(xhr, settings) {
    if (!csrfSafeMethod(settings.type) && !this.crossDomain) {
      xhr.setRequestHeader("X-CSRFToken", '{{csrf_token}}');
    }
  }
});

docs

Answer 5

For lack of a straight forward answer, you just have to add the header X-CSRFToken to the ajax request which is in the cookie csrftoken. JQuery doesn't do cookies (for some reason) without a plugin so:

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery-cookie/1.4.1/jquery.cookie.min.js"></script>

and the minimal code change is:

$.ajax({
  headers: { "X-CSRFToken": $.cookie("csrftoken") },
  ...
});

Answer 6

The fastest solution without any plugins if you are not embedding js into your template is:

Put <script type="text/javascript"> window.CSRF_TOKEN = "{{ csrf_token }}"; </script> before your reference to script.js file in your template, then add csrfmiddlewaretoken into your data dictionary:

$.ajax({
            type: 'POST',
            url: somepathname + "do_it/",
            data: {csrfmiddlewaretoken: window.CSRF_TOKEN},
            success: function() {
                console.log("Success!");
            }
        })

If you do embed your js into the template, it's as simple as: data: {csrfmiddlewaretoken: '{{ csrf_token }}'}

Answer 7

Thank you everyone for all the answers. I am using Django 1.5.1. I'm a little late to the party, but here goes.

I found the link to the Django project to be very useful, but I didn't really want to have to include the extra JavaScript code every time I wanted to make an Ajax call.

I like jerrykan's response as it is very succinct and only adds one line to an otherwise normal Ajax call. In response to the comments below his comment regarding situations when Django template tags are unavailable, how about loading up the csrfmiddlewaretoken from the DOM?

var token = $('input[name="csrfmiddlewaretoken"]').prop('value');
jQuery.ajax({
    type: 'POST',
    url: url,
    data: { 'csrfmiddlewaretoken': token },
    dataType: 'json',
    success: function(data) { console.log('Yippee! ' + data); } 
});

EDIT March 2016

My approach to this issue over the past few years has changed. I add the code below (from the Django docs) to a main.js file and load it on every page. Once done, you shouldn't need to worry about the CSRF token with ajax again.

function getCookie(name) {
    var cookieValue = null;
    if (document.cookie && document.cookie != '') {
        var cookies = document.cookie.split(';');
        for (var i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++) {
            var cookie = jQuery.trim(cookies[i]);
            // Does this cookie string begin with the name we want?
            if (cookie.substring(0, name.length + 1) == (name + '=')) {
                cookieValue = decodeURIComponent(cookie.substring(name.length + 1));
                break;
            }
        }
    }
    return cookieValue;
}
var csrftoken = getCookie('csrftoken');

Answer 8

I got the same issue yesterday and thought it would help people if there were a simple way to handle it, so I wrote a jQuery plugin for that: jquery.djangocsrf. Instead of adding the CSRF token in every request, it hooks itself on the AjaxSend jQuery event and adds the client cookie in a header.

Here’s how to use it:

1- include it:

<script src="path/to/jquery.js"></script>
<script src="path/to/jquery.cookie.js"></script>
<script src="path/to/jquery.djangocsrf.js"></script>

2- enable it in your code:

$.djangocsrf( "enable" );

Django always add the token in a cookie if your template uses {% csrf_token %}. To ensure it always adds it even if you don’t use the special tag in your template, use the @ensure_csrf_cookie decorator:

from django.views.decorators.csrf import ensure_csrf_cookie

@ensure_csrf_cookie
def my_view(request):
    return render(request, 'mytemplate.html')

Note: I’m using Django 1.6.2.

Answer 9

Include x-csrftoken header in request:

var token = $('input[name="csrfmiddlewaretoken"]').prop('value');
jQuery.ajax({
    type: 'POST',
    url: url,
    beforeSend : function(jqXHR, settings) {
        jqXHR.setRequestHeader("x-csrftoken", get_the_csrf_token_from_cookie());
    },
    data: data,
    dataType: 'json',

});

Answer 10

If, after reading other answers, someone is still struggling please try this:

   $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            beforeSend: function (request)
            {
                request.setRequestHeader("X-CSRF-TOKEN", "${_csrf.token}");
            },
            url: servlet_path,
            data : data,
            success : function(result) {
            console.log("Success!");
   }
});

Answer 11

Please not that when doing it this way make sure you don't have the {% csrf_token %} inside the <form></form> tags. Then as explained here add the following code to your javascript

    function getCookie(name) {
    let cookieValue = null;
    if (document.cookie && document.cookie !== '') {
        const cookies = document.cookie.split(';');
        for (let i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++) {
            const cookie = cookies[i].trim();
            // Does this cookie string begin with the name we want?
            if (cookie.substring(0, name.length + 1) === (name + '=')) {
                cookieValue = decodeURIComponent(cookie.substring(name.length + 1));
                break;
            }
        }
    }
    return cookieValue;
    }
    const csrftoken = getCookie('csrftoken');

// using js fetch
// https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/csrf/#setting-the-token-on-the-ajax-request
    const request = new Request(
    /* URL */,
    {headers: {'X-CSRFToken': csrftoken}}
);
fetch(request, {
    method: 'POST',
    mode: 'same-origin'  // Do not send CSRF token to another domain.
}).then(function(response) {
    // ...
});

Answer 12

Just want to put it out here that if GET works in your use case, then it wouldn't need the CSRF token. For my use case, using GET was OK.

Answer 13

html

<form action="">
        {% csrf_token %}
    </form>

JS

 <script>   
     const csrftoken = document.querySelector('[name=csrfmiddlewaretoken]').value;
              const request = new Request(
                   'url_here',
                  {headers: {'X-CSRFToken': csrftoken}}
              );
              fetch(request, {
                  method: 'POST',
                  // mode: 'same-origin' optinal // Do not send CSRF token to another domain.
              }).then(function(response) {
                  console.log(response);
              });
    
    </script>

reference link for more detail

Answer 14

As a summary for my mistakes:

1. Don't forget to set the request content type.
2. Get the csrf value, either from
   • The template {{ csrf_token }}
   • The cookie, use the snippet in django site

   NB. The default cookie name is csrftoken, but can be overriden by CSRF_COOKIE_NAME setting.

   • The DOM, if you can't access the cookie (you set CSRF_USE_SESSIONS or CSRF_COOKIE_HTTPONLY to True)

   document.querySelector('[name=csrfmiddlewaretoken]').value;

3. Set the request header, I'am using XMLHttpRequest

const Http = new XMLHttpRequest();
Http.setRequestHeader("X-CSRFToken", CSRF_VALUE);
Http.setRequestHeader("X_CSRFTOKEN", CSRF_VALUE);

The header name is managed by CSRF_HEADER_NAME setting, which its default is HTTP_X_CSRFTOKEN.

But: "The header name received from the server is normalized by converting all characters to uppercase, replacing any hyphens with underscores, and adding an 'HTTP_' prefix to the name" src.

So, If you set the HTTP_X_CSRFTOKEN header, Django will convert it to HTTP_HTTP_X_CSRFTOKEN which wis incorrect name and will raise CSRF missed error.

Http.setRequestHeader("X-CSRFToken", csrftoken);        // This worked
Http.setRequestHeader("X-CSRFTOKEN", csrftoken);        // Also this
Http.setRequestHeader("HTTP-X-CSRFToken", csrftoken);   // Not working
Http.setRequestHeader("HTTP_X_CSRFTOKEN", csrftoken);   // Not Working
Http.setRequestHeader("X_CSRFTOKEN", csrftoken);        // Not working !!

4. Don't use url in ajax that is different than that of the browser 127.0.0.1 & localhost are not the same !!

5. No need to set data.append("csrfmiddlewaretoken", csrftoken); in the request body, As I know.