Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) is a web security flaw that allows an attacker to trick users into performing actions they do not want to accomplish. It enables an attacker to partially bypass the same-origin policy, which is intended to prevent distinct websites from interacting with one another.
In a successful CSRF attack, the attacker induces the target user to do an unintentional action. This might be to update their email address, reset their password, or initiate a money transfer, for example. The attacker may be able to obtain complete control of the user’s account depending on the nature of the activity. If the compromised user has a privileged position inside the program, the attacker may be able to gain complete control of all data and functionality.
Cross-site request forgery attacks use the same delivery techniques as reflected XSS attacks. Typically, the attacker will upload the malicious HTML to a website under their control and then lure users to that website. This might be accomplished by sending the consumer a link to the website via email or social media. Alternatively, if the assault is posted on a popular website (for example, in a user remark), they may just wait for visitors to visit the site.
The most effective technique to prevent CSRF attacks is to include a CSRF token in relevant queries. The token should be as follows:
- Unpredictable with large entropy, which is the case with session tokens in general.
- Attached to the user’s session.
- Every case is rigorously evaluated before the required action is carried out.
An example of a disguised URL is as follows:
<img src = “https://samplebank.com/onlinebanking/transfer?amount=5000&accountNumber=425654” width=“0” height= “0”>Consider the following scenario: an image tag is included in an attacker-crafted email to Bob. When Bob’s browser program receives it, it automatically opens this URL—no human involvement required. As a result, a fraudulent request is made to the online banking application without Bob’s knowledge. If Bob is currently logged in to samplebank.com, the program will treat this as an authorized money transfer request from Bob. It would subsequently send the funds to an attacker’s designated account.
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