Insecurely generated cookies - Ruby

Need

Secure generation and handling of cookies

Context

1. Usage of Ruby 2.0+ for developing Ruby applications
2. Usage of Rails for building web applications

Description

Insecure Code Example

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  def set_cookie
    cookies[:user] = "admin"
  end
end

In the provided code snippet, a cookie is being set without any security attributes. The `set_cookie` method in the `ApplicationController` class sets a cookie named `user` with a value of `admin`. This cookie is insecure because it lacks the `secure`, `httponly`, and `samesite` attributes. The `secure` attribute ensures that the cookie is only sent over HTTPS, preventing it from being intercepted by attackers. The `httponly` attribute prevents the cookie from being accessed through client-side scripts, which can help to mitigate cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. The `samesite` attribute can help to prevent cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks by ensuring that the cookie is only sent with requests originating from the same site. Without these attributes, the cookie could be intercepted in transit or accessed by unauthorized users on the client side, potentially leading to unauthorized access or other security issues.

Steps

1. Use the 'secure' flag when setting sensitive cookies to ensure they are only transmitted over HTTPS.
2. Set the 'httponly' flag for sensitive cookies to prevent client-side scripts from accessing them.
3. Use a strong and unique secret key for cookie encryption to prevent tampering and session hijacking.
4. Implement a secure session management mechanism, such as using a secure session store or database, to store session data instead of relying solely on cookies.
5. Regularly update and patch the Ruby on Rails framework and its dependencies to ensure you have the latest security fixes.
6. Perform regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities in the application.

Secure Code Example

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  def set_cookie
    cookies[:user] = { value: "admin", secure: Rails.env.production?, httponly: true }
  end
end

The updated code now sets the `secure` and `httponly` flags when creating the `user` cookie. The `secure` flag is set to `true` only in a production environment. This ensures that the cookie is only sent over HTTPS, which encrypts the data during transmission, preventing it from being intercepted and read by unauthorized users. In a non-production environment, the `secure` flag is set to `false` for testing purposes. The `httponly` flag is set to `true`, which prevents client-side scripts (like JavaScript) from accessing the cookie. This is a security measure that helps mitigate cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, where an attacker might try to access the cookie through a script. This code assumes that you are using a secure and unique secret key for cookie encryption, and that you have a secure session management mechanism in place. It's also important to keep your Ruby on Rails framework and its dependencies up-to-date with the latest security patches, and to perform regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and fix any potential vulnerabilities.

References

Last updated

2023/09/18