What happens during a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack?

During a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack, a perpetrator exploits a vulnerability in a web application to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The attacker typically targets input fields or other areas that fail to properly sanitize user input. When another user visits the compromised page, the malicious script executes in their browser, which can lead to unauthorized actions, theft of information (like cookies or session tokens), or redirection to malicious sites.

Selecting the choice that describes the discovery of a vulnerability and the enabling of script injection captures the essence of how XSS attacks operate. It highlights the role of the attacker in identifying weaknesses in the website that allow them to inject code that can manipulate web behavior without the user's consent.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately reflect what happens during an XSS attack. Modifying website content can be a result of XSS, but it doesn't encapsulate the key mechanism of injecting scripts into the site. Enhancing website security is not an outcome of an XSS attack; rather, it is a measure to prevent such attacks. Lastly, a user successfully logging into the website does not pertain to XSS, as the attack itself is not about user authentication but about executing unauthorized scripts.