SESSION HIJACKING

Table of contents
• What is Session Hijacking?
• Types of session hijacking
• How session Hijacking works
• Methods of Session hijacking
• Consequences of session hijacking
• Examples of session hijacking
• Tools to exploit session hijacking
• How to prevent Session hijacking?
• Lab on session hijacking
• Conclusion
• References
What is Session Hijacking?
• Technique used by hackers to gain access to a target’s
computer

• The attack has the ability to gain access to a server without

having to authenticate to it

• Hijackers usually target browser or web application sessions

• It is also known as TCP session hijacking

• Authentication typically done at the start of a TCP session

• The most common method of session hijacking is called IP

spoofing
Types of session Hijacking
Session Active
Hijacking

Passive
How session Hijacking works
Methods of Session hijacking
• Brute force  • Session fixation 

• Cross-site scripting  • Session sniffing

• Malware • Predictable sessions token ID

• Session side jacking • Man-in-the-browser attack

• Session Poisoning • Session Replay 

Consequences of session hijacking
• The attacker can perform any action that the user was carrying out with his credentials.

• The hacker can gain access to multiple web applications, from financial systems

• The hacker can gain access to customer records to line-of-business systems

• The attacker can use session hijacking cookies for identifying authenticated users in single sign-on systems (SSO)

• Here are a few examples:

o Attackers can log into bank accounts for transferring money

o Hackers can use the access for online shopping

o Hackers can get access to sensitive data and sell it on the dark web

o Hackers can demand a ransom from the user in exchange for the data
 
Examples of session hijacking
• Zoom-bombarding

• The Firesheep augmentation for Mozilla Firefox

• GitLab

• Slack
Tools to exploit session hijacking
Tools

Manual Tools Automatic Tools

OWASP ZAP Nikto
Paros Proxy Nessus
WebScarab Skipfish
Burp Suite QualysGuard
Wireshark Acunetix
Live HTTP Headers Arachni
Fiddler AppScan
Tamper Data OpenVAS
Charles Proxy Vega
Netsparker
How to prevent Session hijacking?
• Block suspicious incoming traffic
• Monitor session cookies
• Implement two-factor authentication
• Avoid public Wi-Fi
• Use a VPN
• Add security software
• Watch out your scams
• Be aware of site security.
Lab On Session Hijacking
Conclusion
• Session Hijacking is a serious vulnerability that can compromise the security of your system

• It is important to implement appropriate security measures to prevent and detect Session Hijacking attacks

• Always check the URL bar when logging in to ensure that no suspicious links are present

• Ensure that only authorized users are allowed to create sessions

• Use strong authentication mechanisms

• Keep your web applications up to date with the latest patches

References
• https://venafi.com/blog/what-session-hijacking/
• https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/ethical-hacking/how-to-prevent-session-hijacking-attacks/#:~:text=
Session%20hijacking%20is%20a%20technique,their%20personal%20information%20and%20passwords
.
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/session-hijacking/
• https://in.norton.com/blog/id-theft/session-hijacking
• https://www.wallarm.com/what/session-hijacking-attack
• https://doubleoctopus.com/security-wiki/threats-and-tools/session-hijacking/
• https://cqr.company/wiki/session-hijacking/
• https://www.thesslstore.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-session-hijacking-aka-cookie-hijacking/
• https://geekflare.com/session-hijacking-prevention/