A web developer has implemented HTML5 optimizations into a legacy web application.
One of the modifications the web developer made was the following client side optimization: localStorage.setItem('session-cookie', document.cookie); Which of the following should the security engineer recommend?
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A. B. C. D.C.
The modification made by the web developer involves using the localStorage object to store the value of the 'session-cookie'. localStorage is a client-side storage mechanism that allows web applications to store data locally on the user's device. The data stored using localStorage persists even after the user closes the web application or the browser.
While localStorage can be a useful optimization technique, it can also introduce security risks. For example, if an attacker gains access to the user's device, they can potentially access the stored data, including the session cookie, and use it to impersonate the user or perform other malicious activities.
To mitigate the security risks associated with using localStorage to store session cookies, the security engineer should recommend the following:
B. Cookies should be marked as secure and HttpOnly: Marking cookies as secure and HttpOnly ensures that they are transmitted over a secure channel and cannot be accessed by client-side scripts, respectively. This helps to prevent cookie theft and cross-site scripting attacks.
C. Cookies should be scoped to a relevant domain/path: Scoping cookies to a relevant domain and path ensures that they are only sent to the server that created them and are not accessible by other domains or paths. This helps to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks.
A. SessionStorage should be used so authorized cookies expire after the session ends: SessionStorage is a similar client-side storage mechanism to localStorage but is specific to a single browsing session. Storing session cookies in SessionStorage can help to mitigate the risk of cookie theft since the data stored in SessionStorage is cleared when the browsing session ends.
D. Client-side cookies should be replaced by server-side mechanisms: In general, server-side mechanisms for session management are considered more secure than client-side mechanisms. Storing session data on the server side can help to prevent unauthorized access to session data and can provide more granular control over session expiry times.
In summary, the security engineer should recommend marking cookies as secure and HttpOnly, scoping cookies to a relevant domain/path, and using SessionStorage instead of localStorage to store session cookies. Additionally, if possible, they should consider implementing server-side mechanisms for session management to further enhance the security of the web application.