CWE-565
Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking
Description
The product relies on the existence or values of cookies when performing security-critical operations, but it does not properly ensure that the setting is valid for the associated user.
Common Consequences
Scope
Impact
Modify Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Scope
Impact
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Potential Mitigations
Avoid using cookie data for a security-related decision.
Perform thorough input validation (i.e.: server side validation) on the cookie data if you're going to use it for a security related decision.
Add integrity checks to detect tampering.
Protect critical cookies from replay attacks, since cross-site scripting or other attacks may allow attackers to steal a strongly-encrypted cookie that also passes integrity checks. This mitigation applies to cookies that should only be valid during a single transaction or session. By enforcing timeouts, you may limit the scope of an attack. As part of your integrity check, use an unpredictable, server-side value that is not exposed to the client.
CVE-2008-5784e-dating application allows admin privileges by setting the admin cookie to 1.
Applicable Platforms
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