Cookie Without Secure Flag

Reference

Plugin Id: 10011 | CWE: 614

Remediation

To remediate the vulnerability “Cookie Without Secure Flag,” the following steps can be taken:

Enable the secure flag for cookies: Ensure that the secure flag is set for all cookies that contain sensitive information or require secure transmission. This can be done by adding the Secure attribute to the cookie when it is set.

Example in PHP:
```
setcookie('cookie_name', 'cookie_value', time() + 3600, '/', '', true, true);
```
Example in Java Servlet:
```
Cookie cookie = new Cookie("cookie_name", "cookie_value");
cookie.setSecure(true);
response.addCookie(cookie);
```
Implement HTTPS: Use HTTPS instead of HTTP to encrypt the communication between the client and the server. This ensures that all data, including cookies, is transmitted securely.
Review and update cookie handling: Review the codebase to identify any instances where cookies are being set without the secure flag. Update the code to include the secure flag for those cookies.

About

The vulnerability “Cookie Without Secure Flag” occurs when a cookie is set without the secure flag. The secure flag is an attribute of a cookie that instructs the browser to only send the cookie over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. When a cookie is set without the secure flag, it can be accessed by an attacker if the user visits a non-encrypted (HTTP) website. This can lead to the exposure of sensitive information contained in the cookie.

Risks

The risks associated with the vulnerability “Cookie Without Secure Flag” are:

Information exposure: If a cookie containing sensitive information is set without the secure flag, an attacker can intercept the cookie by eavesdropping on the network traffic. This can lead to the exposure of user credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive data.
Session hijacking: By intercepting a cookie without the secure flag, an attacker can hijack the user’s session and impersonate them on the website. This can allow the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the user, potentially leading to unauthorized access or data manipulation.
Man-in-the-middle attacks: Without the secure flag, an attacker can perform man-in-the-middle attacks by intercepting the communication between the user and the server. This can enable the attacker to modify the contents of the cookie or inject malicious code into the user’s session.

It is important to address this vulnerability to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of user data and to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.