Session Hijacking

Session hijacking, also known as "cookie hijacking" or "session stealing", is a type of cyber attack in which a malicious actor gains control of a user's session on a website or web application.

When a user logs into a website or application, a session is created between their device and the server. The session is maintained by a unique identifier, typically stored in a cookie, which is used to authenticate the user and provide access to their account.

In a session hijacking attack, an attacker intercepts the user's session identifier or steals their authentication cookies, allowing them to impersonate the user and gain unauthorized access to their account. The attacker can use this access to perform various malicious actions, such as stealing sensitive information, manipulating or deleting data, or conducting fraudulent transactions.

Session hijacking attacks can be carried out through various means, including packet sniffing, cross-site scripting (XSS), and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. To prevent session hijacking, websites and web applications should use secure authentication protocols, such as SSL/TLS, and implement measures such as session timeouts and secure cookie handling practices.