How do HttpOnly cookies work with AJAX requests?
🍪 How Do HttpOnly Cookies Work with AJAX Requests? 🍪
If you're a developer working with cookies and AJAX requests, you may have wondered about the intricacies of HttpOnly cookies. Do they work with AJAX sites? And what is the point of HttpOnly if cookies can still be accessed via the XmlHttpRequest object? Let's dive into these questions and find easy solutions to common issues.
Understanding HttpOnly Cookies
First, let's recap what HttpOnly cookies are. Microsoft introduced the HttpOnly flag to prevent XSS (cross-site scripting) attacks by disallowing JavaScript access to cookies. This security measure ensures that cookies cannot be accessed or modified by client-side scripts.
Can HttpOnly Cookies Work on AJAX Sites?
The answer is yes, HttpOnly cookies can indeed work on AJAX sites. While HttpOnly restricts access to document.cookie in some browsers (such as IE7 and FireFox), it does not completely prevent access to cookies via the XmlHttpRequest object.
So, What's the Point of HttpOnly?
The main purpose of HttpOnly is to prevent JavaScript access to cookies from the document object level. It makes cookies essentially "read-only" and protects against attacks targeting sensitive user data.
However, it's crucial to acknowledge that HttpOnly is not a foolproof security measure. As mentioned earlier, the XmlHttpRequest object still allows cookie access, potentially exposing cookies to XSS attacks.
Easy Solution: Cross-Domain Posting of Cookies
Fortunately, there is a built-in safeguard against cross-domain posting of cookies. XmlHttpRequest objects may only be submitted to the domain they originated from. This means that you cannot send an XmlHttpRequest object to a different domain and steal cookies from it.
In other words, HttpOnly cookies are restricted to their originating domain, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access from external sites.
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