How to Protect Against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Attacks
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) is a type of attack that occurs when a malicious web site, email, blog, instant message, or program causes a user's web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site for which the user is currently authenticated. The impact of a successful CSRF attack is limited to the capabilities exposed by the vulnerable application. For example, this attack could result in a transfer of funds, changing a password, or purchasing an item in the user's context.CSRF attacks are difficult to prevent because they exploit the trust that a site has for a user's browser. To protect against CSRF attacks, web applications must employ a combination of measures, including the following:
Use Anti-CSRF Tokens
Anti-CSRF tokens are random strings that are generated by the server and included in the HTML form or in the URL. When the form is submitted, the server validates the token to ensure that the request originated from the same user who requested the page.
Use Captcha
Captcha is a type of challenge-response test used to ensure that the user is a human and not a computer program. Captcha can be used to protect against CSRF attacks by requiring the user to enter a code before submitting the form.
Use HTTPS
HTTPS is a secure protocol that encrypts all data sent between the server and the client. This prevents attackers from intercepting and modifying requests.
Limit Access
Limiting access to sensitive pages and functions can help protect against CSRF attacks. For example, a web application can require users to authenticate before they can access sensitive pages or functions.
Monitor Activity
Monitoring user activity can help detect suspicious behavior that may indicate a CSRF attack. For example, if a user is making requests from multiple IP addresses or browsers, this could indicate a CSRF attack.
Conclusion
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks are difficult to prevent, but they can be mitigated by using a combination of measures, including anti-CSRF tokens, captcha, HTTPS, limiting access, and monitoring activity. By taking these steps, web applications can protect themselves from CSRF attacks.
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