Types of Vulnerabilities Exploited in Session Hijacking AttacksĮxperienced hackers know that several application vulnerability options exist when it comes to session hijacking. Stopping application attacks before they start is the best way to combat session hijacking, accentuating the importance of understanding how session hijacking works and the potential damage attacks can cause. With access to these details, hackers have the ability to wreak havoc in multiple ways. Information at risk includes personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive company details, among other data types.
With full access to an SSO, hackers have a huge database of information at their disposal. When full access to accounts is achieved, servers cannot tell the difference and permit all activities without suspicion. A successful hijacking session puts all of these accounts at risk, as well as other applications connected within the system. Their single sign-on (SSO) systems collect information from several authenticated users at a time. Larger corporations use cookies differently to enhance efficiency. With a session ID, hackers can input information into their own browser that is recognized by the server as the original connection.
If an attacker obtains a session cookie, the session ID or session key is put at risk. Every session is marked with a session cookie, which reports back to the server. When a session is hijacked, attackers slip in unnoticed and are able to monitor all activity taking place for the duration. PHP scripts are the culprit behind this credential storage, with their unmatched connectivity properties that have revolutionized webpage interactions. These cookies collect and store useful information for future logins. From login to logout, information entered throughout the duration of communications is prone to storage depending on cookie settings. Common systematic communications include computer-to-computer and client-to-server. Sessions refer to the time in which two systems are in communications with one another. In an attempt to decrease the potential for attack, layers are added on top of TCP/IP in the hopes of stopping attacks long before they reach the core. Certain limitations in TCP/IP are the reason it is vulnerable to attack. This source is known as the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or TCP/IP. Though it seems like a complicated entanglement of systems and networks, a computer's ability to communicate with a website comes from one single source. Hackers can do this by squeezing in unnoticed, possibly taking over, and eventually kicking users out of the session. The ability to tap in and monitor activity for the duration of a session can prove dangerous, especially in the case of highly sensitive information.
Searching for small windows of opportunity, hackers use advanced breaching techniques, that are also known as cookie hijacking.
One of the vulnerability attack vectors that cyber criminals find fruitful is session hijacking. The threat is real: Verizon finds that 43% of data breaches are linked to application vulnerabilities. This provides cyber criminals with a greater opportunity to exploit application vulnerabilities. And as organizations launch more applications and evolve existing ones, the application attack surface grows. The importance of security is on the rise as digital innovation explodes.