diff --git a/docs/config/server-options.md b/docs/config/server-options.md
index fbfa4b6471a576..c43aba25d9ce5b 100644
--- a/docs/config/server-options.md
+++ b/docs/config/server-options.md
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 ## server.cors
 
 - **Type:** `boolean | CorsOptions`
-- **Default:** `false`
+- **Default:** `{ origin: /^https?:\/\/(?:(?:[^:]+\.)?localhost|127\.0\.0\.1|\[::1\])(?::\d+)?$/ }` (allows localhost, `127.0.0.1` and `::1`)
 
 Configure CORS for the dev server. Pass an [options object](https://github.com/expressjs/cors#configuration-options) to fine tune the behavior or `true` to allow any origin.
 
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/constants.spec.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/constants.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c7015f60104280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/constants.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { defaultAllowedOrigins } from '../constants'
+
+test('defaultAllowedOrigins', () => {
+  const allowed = [
+    'http://localhost',
+    'http://foo.localhost',
+    'http://localhost:3000',
+    'https://localhost:3000',
+    'http://127.0.0.1',
+    'http://[::1]',
+    'http://[::1]:3000',
+  ]
+  const denied = [
+    'file:///foo',
+    'http://localhost.example.com',
+    'http://foo.example.com:localhost',
+    'http://',
+    'http://192.0.2',
+    'http://[2001:db8::1]',
+    'http://vite',
+    'http://vite:3000',
+  ]
+
+  for (const origin of allowed) {
+    expect(defaultAllowedOrigins.test(origin), origin).toBe(true)
+  }
+
+  for (const origin of denied) {
+    expect(defaultAllowedOrigins.test(origin), origin).toBe(false)
+  }
+})
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/constants.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/constants.ts
index 414d1b6430918f..f093fb7fc5c076 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/constants.ts
@@ -151,3 +151,10 @@ export const wildcardHosts = new Set([
 export const DEFAULT_DEV_PORT = 5173
 
 export const DEFAULT_PREVIEW_PORT = 4173
+
+// the regex to allow loopback address origins:
+// - localhost domains (which will always resolve to the loopback address by RFC 6761 section 6.3)
+// - 127.0.0.1
+// - ::1
+export const defaultAllowedOrigins =
+  /^https?:\/\/(?:(?:[^:]+\.)?localhost|127\.0\.0\.1|\[::1\])(?::\d+)?$/
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
index 1d2ea2b7281bff..77e16ed824a204 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import connect from 'connect'
 import type { Connect } from 'dep-types/connect'
 import corsMiddleware from 'cors'
 import type { ResolvedServerOptions, ResolvedServerUrls } from './server'
+import { DEFAULT_PREVIEW_PORT , defaultAllowedOrigins } from './constants'
 import type { CommonServerOptions } from './http'
 import {
   httpServerStart,
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@ import compression from './server/middlewares/compression'
 import { proxyMiddleware } from './server/middlewares/proxy'
 import { resolveHostname, resolveServerUrls, shouldServeFile } from './utils'
 import { printServerUrls } from './logger'
-import { DEFAULT_PREVIEW_PORT } from './constants'
 import { resolveConfig } from './config'
 import type { InlineConfig, ResolvedConfig } from './config'
 import { hostCheckMiddleware } from './server/middlewares/hostCheck'
@@ -146,8 +146,14 @@ export async function preview(
 
   // cors
   const { cors } = config.preview
-  if (cors !== undefined && cors !== false) {
-    app.use(corsMiddleware(typeof cors === 'boolean' ? {} : cors))
+  if (cors !== false) {
+    app.use(
+      corsMiddleware(
+        typeof cors === 'boolean'
+          ? {}
+          : cors ?? { origin: defaultAllowedOrigins },
+      ),
+    )
   }
 
   // host check (to prevent DNS rebinding attacks)
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
index ff2686cfdf8f30..20a2c9da3a56a9 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ import {
 } from '../optimizer'
 import { bindShortcuts } from '../shortcuts'
 import type { BindShortcutsOptions } from '../shortcuts'
-import { CLIENT_DIR, DEFAULT_DEV_PORT } from '../constants'
+import {
+  CLIENT_DIR,
+  DEFAULT_DEV_PORT,
+  defaultAllowedOrigins,
+} from '../constants'
 import type { Logger } from '../logger'
 import { printServerUrls } from '../logger'
 import { resolveChokidarOptions } from '../watch'
@@ -614,8 +618,14 @@ export async function _createServer(
 
   // cors
   const { cors } = serverConfig
-  if (cors !== undefined && cors !== false) {
-    middlewares.use(corsMiddleware(typeof cors === 'boolean' ? {} : cors))
+  if (cors !== false) {
+    middlewares.use(
+      corsMiddleware(
+        typeof cors === 'boolean'
+          ? {}
+          : cors ?? { origin: defaultAllowedOrigins },
+      ),
+    )
   }
 
   // host check (to prevent DNS rebinding attacks)