Using encoding to detect security bugs

A system that facilitates detecting security flaws in a web site that receives and transmits untrusted content, comprising the following computer-executable components:

• a receiver component that receives test content that corresponds to a field on a web page that, when online, is configured to receive user-generated content, wherein the test content includes non-malicious data;
• an encoder component that encodes each character of the test content regardless of form or content of the test content to generate encoded content;
• and
• a display component that displays encoded content and non-encoded content of the web page to a tester on a computer screen, wherein the display component causes the encoded content to be displayed in a visually distinct manner from the non-encoded content.

A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the following acts:

• in a testing phase pertaining to a web site that is configured to receive and transmit user-generated content when online, receiving content pertaining to building a web page that includes test content corresponding to a field of the web page that is to be populated by user-generated content when the web site is online;
• executing a function call upon receiving the content pertaining to building the web page, wherein the function call initiates an encoding algorithm;
• responsive to execution of the function call, using the encoding algorithm to encode each character in the test content to generate encoded content, wherein the test content includes alphabetical characters;
• and
• rendering the encoded content in a web browser such that the encoded content is visually distinct from non-encoded content on the web page.