By definition, the HTTP protocol and web servers are stateless. This implies they have no method of tracking user behavior. Every request is treated by the web server as a new one. As a result, browsers and web servers must employ session tokens.
Session tokens are one-of-a-kind bits of data sent between the browser and the server. They allow for the tracking of user behavior and the differentiation of users. A session token, for example, might be used by an e-commerce platform to identify a user’s shopping basket.
The simplest way to share session tokens is to include one in the URL, such as http://www.example.com/account.php?token=12345. A user who has already been authorized can access their account using such a URL. This approach is not intrinsically unsafe, but if the session token is not verified by the server, it may result in potentially high-risk issues.
When you include a session token in the URL, you enhance the likelihood of an attacker collecting and abusing it. Anyone who visits that URL will inherit the session. When you use HTTPS to access to a web server, the danger is lower than when you use HTTP, but it is still a hazard.
Although HTTPS URLs are encrypted during transmission, they are frequently kept in server logs. These tokens can be used by anybody who has access to the logs. In the worst-case scenario, this might result in session fixation or hijacking. As a result, even if we rate the Session Token in URL vulnerability as low severity, you should not dismiss it.
What Are Your Options?
Alternative means of exchanging session tokens, such as HTTP cookies, should be used by applications. You should additionally encrypt such programs since unencrypted applications can be used to get session tokens.
If cookies aren’t an option, you can communicate session tokens via hidden input fields. Unfortunately, this is not without flaws. Attackers may go through the HTML source code to find and exploit secret fields used to deliver these tokens.
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