Session Fixation is a sort of web application user attack in which an attacker tricks a victim into utilizing a previously known Session ID.
When a victim uses a known Session ID in a request to a vulnerable application, the attacker can use this vulnerability to make their own requests using the same Session ID – acting as if they were the rightful owner of the Session. This attack differs from Session Hijacking in that the attacker already has the Session ID and forces it on the victim, as opposed to the attacker finding the token through another vulnerability.
The consequences for the victim of the attack and the website’s proprietors will vary based on the type of application and the nature of the data held within the hacked user session. At the very least, a successful Session Fixation exploit might result in a loss of privacy, allowing the attacker to get sensitive information submitted into the application by the victim. In a more catastrophic instance, if the attacker is able to authenticate with the app using the stolen Session ID, it might result in the takeover of the victim’s account.
If administrator accounts are compromised as a result of this vulnerability, the attack might be leveraged to enable subsequent attacks, such as changing the application’s settings or extracting data from backend databases. The organization is likely to incur reputational harm and lose the trust of users whose accounts were compromised by the hack.
How to Avoid Vulnerabilities in Session Fixation?
A Session Fixation vulnerability can be mitigated by coding the application in such a manner that it refuses to accept a token that has been pushed onto a victim’s session.
The procedures below give a solid method for securing a web application against various attacks:
- Session IDs are not accepted as arguments in GET or POST requests.
- Allow users to log out and expire previous sessions.
- After logging in, update the Session ID.
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