Contents
- 1 Is it okay to share session ID via a URL?
- 2 Why is it a bad idea to include a session ID within your applications URL?
- 3 What is session ID in URL?
- 4 Why does sending a session identifier in the URL pose a security risk?
- 5 Can websites steal cookies?
- 6 Why is passing the session ID as URL parameter insecure?
- 7 How are session identifiers stored in a cookie?
- 8 Is it possible to spy on a session ID?
(1)Yes, sharing a session ID is okay, as it is going only to the intended user. (2)Yes, if the application is performing URL redirecting. (3)An application must not share a session ID via a URL. Answer:-(3)An application must not share a session ID via a URL.
Why is it a bad idea to include a session ID within your applications URL?
If you place a session token directly in the URL, it increases the risk of an attacker capturing and exploiting it. When you connect to the web server using HTTPS the risk is less than if you use HTTP but it is still a threat. HTTPS URLs are encrypted during transmission but they are often stored in server logs.
Which HTTP header or headers are usually used to pass session IDs?
The WWW-Authenticate header is used by a server to request that a client to provide a session identifier where none was given or to specify one for an alternative realm.
What is session ID in URL?
A session ID is a unique number that a Web site’s server assigns a specific user for the duration of that user’s visit (session). The session ID can be stored as a cookie, form field, or URL (Uniform Resource Locator).
Why does sending a session identifier in the URL pose a security risk?
When first authenticated, the website reveals in the URL a sensitive information “the session ID”. This is a security risk according to OWASP reference. Indeed if an attacker get the session ID it can lead to the vulnerability of session fixation.
How do hackers use cookies?
Cookie theft occurs when hackers steal a victim’s session ID and mimic that person’s cookie over the same network. There are several ways they can do this. The first is by tricking a user into clicking a malicious link with a pre-set session ID. The second is by stealing the current session cookie.
If hackers can access your computer or your network, they can probably steal your cookies. As a result, criminals are having to resort to more advanced techniques, like stealing information passing through public WiFi networks. All a hacker needs to hack your cookies is a Firefox extension called Firesheep.
Why is passing the session ID as URL parameter insecure?
If a site uses HTTP mixed with HTTPS, the id would be transmitted plaintext in the URL for all HTTP requests (even for an image request). So if the attacker can read a single HTTP request after the user has logged in, he knows the session id. A way out of the problem would be to separate the two concerns,…
Can a client claim to own a session ID?
In both cases, server-side validation that the client that claims to own a session ID is best practice. What this validation is composed of is up for debate. Keep in mind that users behind corporate proxies may hop between IP addresses between requests, so locking a session to an IP address may accidentally alienate people.
By storing session identifiers in cookies, you completely eliminate the link sharing problem. There’s a variation on this theme called session fixation, which involves an intentional sharing of a session identifier for malicious purposes.
Is it possible to spy on a session ID?
Browser addons, spyware and other client-side nasties can also spy on both methods of storing session identifiers. In both cases, server-side validation that the client that claims to own a session ID is best practice.