Introduction
Many organizations believe that by using a hosted payment page (HPP) — like those offered by Stripe, PayPal, or Authorize.net — they’ve fully outsourced their PCI DSS risk. The logic is simple: “If the payment happens on their domain, we’re in the clear.”
This assumption is not only wrong — it’s dangerously incomplete.
What Hosted Payment Pages Actually Cover
Hosted payment pages offload:
- Card entry fields
- Tokenization and transmission
- PCI DSS scope for backend card processing
You’re not storing, transmitting, or handling card data — which reduces your PCI burden, especially for SAQ A.
But it doesn’t eliminate client-side risk.
The Client-Side Attack Path Still Exists
Attackers don’t need to breach your payment processor — they only need to manipulate your checkout journey before redirection:
- Inject a fake HPP link
- Clone your page with a malicious overlay
- Modify form submission buttons
- Hijack scripts that run before redirect
- Insert keyboard loggers via third-party scripts
All of this happens before the user even lands on the HPP.
And that part? That’s your responsibility.
Real-World Example
In one Magecart attack, a site used Stripe’s hosted checkout — but had loaded an infected analytics script. That script modified the DOM just before redirect, overlaying a fake card form for a split second.
The user thought they were on Stripe — but entered card data into a malicious iframe.
The merchant was still held accountable — because they served the compromised code.
What PCI DSS Says
Even SAQ A merchants are still required to:
- Monitor their pages for unauthorized modifications (PCI DSS 11.6.1)
- Maintain strict control over client-side scripts (PCI DSS 6.4.3)
- Document third-party service usage and risks
Just because you’re using an HPP doesn’t mean your frontend is out of scope.
How Breachfin Helps
Breachfin protects your client-side journey — including pages before the hosted redirect.
- Monitors every script that runs
- Logs mutations to the checkout button or redirect code
- Sends real-time alerts for unauthorized DOM changes
- Helps prove compliance with PCI DSS 6.4.3 and 11.6.1
- Gives auditors proof that your pre-payment journey is secure
Final Thoughts
Hosted payment pages reduce risk — but don’t eliminate it.
If your site is compromised before redirect, your customers are still at risk, and so is your compliance.
Breachfin closes the visibility gap before the payment begins.
