Session Cookie Hash Validation for Hijacking Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing session data management systems are vulnerable to session hijacking and account takeover attacks, with attackers intercepting and exploiting session data like cookies to gain unauthorized access, leading to security breaches and privacy risks, especially when server-side defenses are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
Implement a validation software that intercepts user device requests, hashes session data like cookies, and sends partial hashes to a validation server for comparison against a list of known compromised cookies, alerting users to potential hijacking threats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If server-side defenses are used to protect session data, then security coverage is provided, but client-side vulnerability remains and attackers can still intercept session data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides session data into multiple segments (e.g., splitting cookies into parts) and stores them separately. The validation software checks each segment independently and reconstructs the full session data only after verification, preventing attackers from obtaining complete session data through interception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces validation software as an intermediary component between the browser and web applications. This intermediary intercepts session data, validates it against known compromised patterns, and only allows legitimate data to proceed, adding a client-side security layer without requiring server-side changes.
2Measurement precision
If session data is transmitted in clear text for validation, then real-time detection is possible, but security is compromised during transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates hash copies of session data segments instead of transmitting the original data. The validation software computes hashes of session segments and transmits only these cryptographic representations for validation, allowing accurate verification while preventing attackers from recovering original session data even if transmission is intercepted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms session data from its original form into hashed representations before transmission. This parameter change converts the data into a format that maintains verification capability while eliminating the security risk of transmitting sensitive information in readable form.
3Reliability
If validation software checks all session data before transmission, then security detection is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial validation by checking only specific segments of session data rather than the entire dataset. The validation software identifies and validates critical session segments (e.g., authentication tokens) while skipping less critical data, reducing validation time while maintaining security for essential information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs validation checks on session data segments before they are assembled into complete requests. By validating individual segments in advance and caching validation results, the system avoids redundant processing when segments are recombined, reducing overall validation time for subsequent requests.
Data Source
AI summary
A request including a cookie directed from a user device to a target device is received at a validation software. The cookie is a data structure stored on the user device by a web browser to track session information. The cookie is hashed to obtain a hashed cookie. A validation request containing a subset of the hashed cookie is transmitted to a validation server. A response indicating that the subset of the hashed cookie matches a hash of a compromised cookie is received from the validation server. An alert of a potential session compromise is output at the user device based on the response.