Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a web security vulnerability that tricks a user's browser into performing actions they did not intend, exploiting the trust a web application has in the user's session.
Example Scenario
Consider a user logged into their online banking account. If an attacker tricks them into visiting a malicious website, their browser might unknowingly send a request to transfer money.
<img src="https://bank.example.com/transfer?amount=1000&to=attacker_account" />
If the user is authenticated, their bank may process the transfer without additional confirmation.
Ethical CSRF Testing Tools
- XSRFProbe: A CSRF auditing tool for penetration testers.
- Bolt: An automated CSRF exploitation tool built with Python.
CSRF Prevention Techniques
To prevent CSRF attacks, developers should implement CSRF tokens, same-site cookie attributes, and user authentication checks.
Proof of Concept
Below is an example of a CSRF attack in action:
By understanding and testing for CSRF vulnerabilities, ethical hackers can help secure applications from malicious exploitation.
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