How Double-Submit Cookie Prevent CSRF

We discusses two methods for preventing CSRF: Synchronizer Token pattern and Double-Submit Cookie pattern. The Synchronizer Token pattern stores tokens in the server session. This can lead to memory issues as the number of users grows. The Double-Submit Cookie pattern addresses this by storing tokens in cookies instead. When a user logs in, a CSRF token is created and stored in a cookie. This token is also added as a hidden field in any forms submitted by the user. The server validates the CSRF token when the form is submitted. This prevents attackers from forging requests because they cannot access the CSRF token. However, this method also has some limitations. Cookies cannot be flagged as HTTPOnly, which means they could be vulnerable to XSS attacks.

Preventing Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks using Double-Submit Cookie Pattern

This article explores Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks and how to prevent them using the Double-Submit Cookie pattern. CSRF attacks are a type of web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to trick a user's browser into performing unauthorized actions on a website.

The Double-Submit Cookie pattern is a technique for mitigating CSRF attacks. It works by storing a CSRF token in a cookie and including the same token as a hidden field in any forms submitted by the user. When the server receives a form submission, it validates that the CSRF token in the cookie matches the token in the hidden field. This helps to ensure that the form submission was originated from the user's browser and not from an attacker.

The Double-Submit Cookie pattern offers several advantages over other CSRF prevention techniques, such as the Synchronizer Token pattern. It does not require storing tokens in the server session, which can help to improve scalability. Additionally, it is less vulnerable to certain types of attacks.

However, the Double-Submit Cookie pattern also has some limitations. For example, cookies cannot be flagged as HTTPOnly, which means they could be vulnerable to XSS attacks.

Overall, the Double-Submit Cookie pattern is a valuable technique for preventing CSRF attacks. It is important to be aware of its limitations and to take steps to mitigate them.

Reference : https://medium.com/@dinuksha.ishwari/preventing-cross-site-request-forgery-using-double-submit-cookie-pattern-f1436274c7cc