restify-cors-middleware2 is a specialized CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) middleware designed for use with Restify servers, providing full compliance with the W3C CORS specification. The package, currently at version 2.2.1, offers robust features for handling preflight requests and actual requests, with advanced capabilities for defining allowed origins using strings, wildcards, and regular expressions. A key differentiator is its enhanced security posture, where it dynamically sets the `Access-Control-Allow-Origin` header to the matching origin, rather than a broad wildcard, preventing information leakage about other supported domains. It also clearly documents potential security implications of using `origins: ['*']`. This middleware is a successor to an earlier `restify-cors-middleware` package, indicating updates and potential breaking changes from its predecessor. It includes TypeScript declaration files, facilitating its use in TypeScript projects. The release cadence is moderate, with stable versions released as needed for feature enhancements and bug fixes.
npm install restify-cors-middleware2Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to set up `restify-cors-middleware2` with a basic Restify server, configuring preflight caching, specific allowed origins (including a regex for localhost), and custom headers.
Review the README and unit tests for `restify-cors-middleware2` to understand the current API and adapt your code accordingly. Do not assume direct compatibility with `restify-cors-middleware`.
Always specify explicit origins using strings, wildcards, or regular expressions whenever possible. Only use `['*']` in specific, controlled environments (e.g., public APIs without sensitive data) and understand the security trade-offs. Avoid `allowCredentialsAllOrigins` with `*` unless absolutely necessary and secure.
Ensure that client-side requests are properly setting the `Origin` header. Tools like `curl` typically don't set it by default unless specified. Browser-initiated requests (e.g., `fetch`, `XMLHttpRequest`) generally handle this automatically for cross-origin requests.
Configure your reverse proxy (e.g., Nginx, Varnish) or CDN to include `Vary: Origin` in cached responses. This ensures that different `Origin` headers result in separate cache entries, preventing cross-origin response leakage.
Be aware that TypeScript type definitions may have limitations. Consider contributing to the type definitions if you encounter inaccuracies or missing types. You may need to use `// @ts-ignore` in some cases or declare custom module augmentations.
Ensure the client's origin (e.g., `http://client.example.com`) is explicitly listed in the `origins` array of the `corsMiddleware` options, or use a wildcard/regex that matches it if appropriate for your security model.
Verify that `server.pre(cors.preflight)` is called before any other routes or middleware that might prematurely handle or block OPTIONS requests. Ensure the `preflightMaxAge` is set appropriately.
Check server logs for errors during the OPTIONS request. Ensure your Restify server is correctly configured to handle OPTIONS requests via `cors.preflight` middleware and that no other middleware is interfering or returning an error status for preflight requests.