Cookies are not just a security risk, they are also an insane design flaw that should have been replaced 5 minutes after their creation

Cookies have been a staple of the internet since their creation in 1994, but they have become both a security risk and an insane design flaw that should have been replaced long ago.

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user's computer by a website. It is used to store information about a user's browsing habits and preferences, such as login information, shopping cart contents, or preferences. When a user visits a website, the website sends a request to the user's browser to store a cookie. The next time the user visits the same website, the browser sends the cookie back to the website, allowing the website to remember the user's preferences and information.

Here's a commented code example of a simple tracking cookie in JavaScript:

javascriptCopy code<code>// Define the cookie name, value, and expiration date
var cookieName = "trackingCookie";
var cookieValue = "user_id=12345";
var expirationDate = new Date();
expirationDate.setTime(expirationDate.getTime() + (365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)); // Expires in one year

// Create the cookie string with the name, value, and expiration date
var cookieString = cookieName + "=" + cookieValue + ";expires=" + expirationDate.toGMTString() + ";path=/";

// Set the cookie using document.cookie
document.cookie = cookieString;
</code>

In this example, a cookie is created with the name trackingCookie, the value user_id=12345, and an expiration date set to one year from the current date. The cookie string is then created using the name, value, expiration date, and path (/ means the cookie will be accessible to all pages on the website). Finally, the cookie is set using the document.cookie property in JavaScript.

When a user visits the website again, the browser will send the cookie back to the website, allowing the website to read the cookie value and use it for tracking purposes. In this example, the website could use the user_id value to associate the user with a specific account or track their activity on the website.

However, cookies can also be used to track a user's browsing habits, which is a major security risk. Third-party cookies, which are placed by advertisers, can be used to track a user's browsing habits across multiple websites. This can lead to targeted advertising and even identity theft.

The Problem

One of the biggest issues with cookies is that they can be easily exploited by hackers to gain access to sensitive information. Cookies can be stolen through a process known as "cookie hijacking," in which a hacker intercepts the cookie and uses it to impersonate the user and gain access to their account. This can lead to serious security breaches, such as identity theft and financial fraud.

Another major issue with cookies is that they are a design flaw that has not been adequately addressed. Cookies are stored on a user's computer and can be easily deleted, lost, or stolen. This means that a user's preferences, login information, and shopping cart contents can be lost without warning.

But the real problem with cookies is that they are a terrible design choice for modern web browsing. They were created in the early days of the internet, when web pages were simple and websites were not nearly as complex as they are today. Cookies were intended to be a simple way for websites to remember a user's preferences, but they have become a bloated and outdated technology that is ill-suited for the modern web.

There are alternative technologies available that can replace cookies, such as browser extensions, web storage, and token-based authentication. These technologies are more secure and can store more complex data. Additionally, cookies can also slow down web pages and cause them to crash, which can be frustrating for users. They also provide a better user experience by allowing users to easily manage their preferences and login information.

Given all these issues, it's clear that cookies are a design flaw that should have been replaced long ago. In light of these security and privacy concerns, there are alternative solutions that can be considered as a more secure way to store user information and session state. One such solution is tokens or JSON Web Tokens (JWT). Tokens are generated on the server-side and are encrypted and signed, making them much more secure than cookies. Tokens can also be used to store a user's session information, making it possible to maintain a consistent state of the user's session across different pages.

Another alternative solution is server-side sessions, where a user's session information is stored on the server instead of on the client-side. This makes it much more secure and less susceptible to hacking or theft.

The Alternatives

HTTP-only and secure flags are a way to secure cookies by telling the browser to only send the cookie over a secure connection (HTTPS) and disallowing access to the cookie from JavaScript. This helps prevent attacks such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) where a malicious attacker injects JavaScript into a website to steal or modify a user's cookies.

Here is a commented code example of setting an HTTP-only and secure flag for a cookie in PHP:

phpCopy code<code><?php
// Setting a cookie with the HTTP-only and secure flags
setcookie('example_cookie', 'value', [
    'expires' => time() + 3600, // set cookie to expire in 1 hour
    'httponly' => true, 
    'secure' => true,
    'samesite' => 'Strict'
]);

// Checking if the cookie was set with the HTTP-only and secure flags
if (isset($_COOKIE['example_cookie'])) {
    // The cookie is set and can be accessed in a secure way
    echo "Cookie value: " . $_COOKIE['example_cookie'];
} else {
    // The cookie was not set or was deleted
    echo "Cookie not set";
}
?>
</code>

By using the httponly and secure flags, we ensure that the cookie is only sent over a secure connection and that it cannot be accessed or modified by JavaScript. This helps to protect against common cookie-related security threats, such as XSS attacks.

In addition, the samesite flag provides extra protection against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks by limiting the cookie's availability to requests from the same website. When set to 'Strict', the cookie will only be sent with requests originating from the same site and will not be included in requests from other sites.

HTTP-only and secure flags provide an extra layer of security to cookies, making them a good alternative for storing user information and session state in a more secure and privacy-focused way.

Another alternative to cookies that is more secure and privacy-focused is JSON Web Tokens (JWT). JWT is a compact, URL-safe means of transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. Unlike cookies, which are stored on the user's device and can be easily accessed or modified by malicious actors, JWT is stored on the server and sent to the client in an encrypted form.

Here's a commented code example of using JWT for authentication in a Node.js server:

javascriptCopy code<code>// Import the necessary libraries
const jwt = require("jsonwebtoken");
const express = require("express");
const app = express();

// Define a secret key for encoding and decoding JWT
const secretKey = "secret_key";

// Define a route to handle login requests
app.post("/login", (req, res) => {
  // Extract the user's credentials from the request
  const username = req.body.username;
  const password = req.body.password;

  // Validate the user's credentials (omitted for brevity)

  // If the credentials are valid, create a JWT
  const token = jwt.sign({ username: username }, secretKey, { expiresIn: "1h" });

  // Send the JWT to the client
  res.json({ token: token });
});

// Define a middleware to verify JWT on protected routes
const verifyToken = (req, res, next) => {
  // Extract the JWT from the request header
  const bearerHeader = req.headers["authorization"];
  if (typeof bearerHeader !== "undefined") {
    const bearer = bearerHeader.split(" ");
    const bearerToken = bearer[1];

    // Verify the JWT using the secret key
    jwt.verify(bearerToken, secretKey, (err, decoded) => {
      if (err) {
        // If the JWT is invalid, return an error
        return res.sendStatus(403);
      } else {
        // If the JWT is valid, store the decoded information in the request object
        req.decoded = decoded;
        next();
      }
    });
  } else {
    // If the JWT is not present, return an error
    return res.sendStatus(403);
  }
};

// Define a protected route
app.get("/protected", verifyToken, (req, res) => {
  // Extract the decoded information from the request object
  const decoded = req.decoded;

  // Return the decoded information to the client
  res.json({ decoded: decoded });
});

// Start the server
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log("Server started on port 3000");
});
</code>

In this example, a Node.js server is set up to handle login requests and protected routes. When a user logs in, the server creates a JWT using the jsonwebtoken library and the user's username, and signs it with a secret key. The JWT is then sent to the client in the response.

When a client accesses a protected route, the server verifies the JWT in the request header using the secret key and the jsonwebtoken library. If the JWT is valid, the server stores the decoded information in the request object and allows the request to continue. If the JWT is not valid, the server sends a 401 Unauthorized response back to the client. This helps to ensure that only authorized clients can access protected resources and information.

JWTs can also be signed and encrypted to provide an additional layer of security. This means that even if a JWT is intercepted by a malicious actor, the information contained in it cannot be read or modified without the secret key.

In conclusion, JWT is a more secure and privacy-focused alternative to cookies as it allows for stateless authentication, reduces the risk of information being intercepted or hacked, and provides a way for the server to verify the identity of the client. It is a popular and widely used alternative for web applications that require secure user authentication and information storage.

Finally, we come to server-side sessions:

javascriptCopy code<code>// Import the necessary modules
const express = require('express');
const session = require('express-session');

// Initialize the express app
const app = express();

// Set up the express-session middleware
app.use(session({
  secret: 'secretKey', // a secret string used to sign the session ID cookie
  resave: false,
  saveUninitialized: true
}));

// A simple route that sets a session variable
app.get('/set-session', (req, res) => {
  req.session.someVariable = 'hello world';
  res.send('Session variable set');
});

// A simple route that retrieves the value of the session variable
app.get('/get-session', (req, res) => {
  const someVariable = req.session.someVariable;
  res.send(`Session variable value: ${someVariable}`);
});

// Start the server
app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server started on port 3000');
});
</code>

In this example, the express-session middleware is used to manage server-side sessions in an Express.js application. The secret option is a string used to sign the session ID cookie, which is stored on the client's browser. The resave and saveUninitialized options determine when the session data should be saved to the store.

The code sets a session variable someVariable to the value 'hello world' when the /set-session route is accessed. The value of the session variable can be retrieved by accessing the /get-session route.

Server-side sessions allow you to store user-specific data on the server, rather than on the client's device. This can be more secure and privacy-friendly, as it reduces the risk of sensitive information being intercepted or stolen. The session ID cookie stored on the client's device is encrypted and signed, providing an additional layer of security.

Note: In a real-world application, the session data should be stored in a database or other persistent storage mechanism, rather than in memory as shown in this example.

Conclusion

I dislike cookies, you dislike cookies - everyone in their right might hates cookies. They are a technology that should have been strangled at birth. Cookies have become outdated and have several security and privacy concerns, making them less ideal for use. Alternatives such as tokens or JWT and server-side sessions should be considered as a more secure way to store user information and session state. We need to reclaim not just privacy and security, but also the right to tell advertisers that they don't get to automatically claim any information about us without prior consent and/or payment.