Cookies and Sessions: A Study of What They Are, How They Work and How They Can Be Stolen

Abstract

We discuss cookies, a vital and relevant piece of technology that is used by many on the Internet today. Specifically, we talk about what a cookie is, how they work and how a cookie may be stolen from an end user to gain illegitimate access to accounts. A lab, utilized for both testing and demonstration consists of an attacker and a victim. Finally, we discuss mitigation techniques for end users.