2025-02-13
In this article, we explore how a critical Personally Identifiable Information (PII) vulnerability was discovered on a main domain through cookie manipulation. The technique used involves manipulating cookies to access sensitive data, which can be a significant security risk if not properly mitigated.
Steps to Reproduce the Vulnerability:
- Identify the Target Domain: Start by identifying the main domain where the PII is stored.
- Inspect Cookies: Use browser developer tools (F12) to inspect the cookies being used by the domain.
- Manipulate Cookies: Modify the cookie values to see if the application responds differently or exposes sensitive data.
- Analyze the Response: Check if the manipulated cookies lead to unauthorized access to PII or other sensitive information.
Example Code for Cookie Manipulation:
[javascript]
// JavaScript example to manipulate cookies
document.cookie = “sessionID=maliciousValue; path=/; domain=.example.com”;
[/javascript]
Linux Command to Monitor Network Traffic:
sudo tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap
This command captures network traffic on the `eth0` interface and saves it to a file named `capture.pcap` for later analysis.
Windows Command to Check Active Connections:
[cmd]
netstat -an | find “ESTABLISHED”
[/cmd]
This command lists all established connections on a Windows machine, which can help identify suspicious activity.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Secure Cookie Attributes: Use
HttpOnly,Secure, and `SameSite` attributes for cookies to prevent unauthorized access. - Input Validation: Ensure all user inputs are properly validated to prevent injection attacks.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
What Undercode Say:
Cookie manipulation is a critical vulnerability that can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information. It is essential to implement secure coding practices and regularly audit your systems to prevent such attacks. Using tools like `tcpdump` on Linux or `netstat` on Windows can help monitor and detect suspicious activities. Always ensure that cookies are properly secured with attributes like `HttpOnly` and Secure. Regular security training for developers and continuous monitoring of your systems can significantly reduce the risk of such vulnerabilities. For further reading on secure coding practices, visit OWASP Secure Coding Practices.
By following these practices and commands, you can enhance the security of your systems and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
References:
Hackers Feeds, Undercode AI
