Bypassing CSRF token validation

In this section, we'll explain what CSRF tokens are, how they protect against CSRF attacks, and how you can potentially bypass these defenses.

What is a CSRF token?

A CSRF token is a unique, secret, and unpredictable value that is generated by the server-side application and shared with the client. When issuing a request to perform a sensitive action, such as submitting a form, the client must include the correct CSRF token. Otherwise, the server will refuse to perform the requested action.

A common way to share CSRF tokens with the client is to include them as a hidden parameter in an HTML form, for example:

Submitting this form results in the following request:

When implemented correctly, CSRF tokens help protect against CSRF attacks by making it difficult for an attacker to construct a valid request on behalf of the victim. As the attacker has no way of predicting the correct value for the CSRF token, they won't be able to include it in the malicious request.

Common flaws in CSRF token validation

CSRF vulnerabilities typically arise due to flawed validation of CSRF tokens. In this section, we'll cover some of the most common issues that enable attackers to bypass these defenses.

Validation of CSRF token depends on request method

Some applications correctly validate the token when the request uses the POST method but skip the validation when the GET method is used.

In this situation, the attacker can switch to the GET method to bypass the validation and deliver a CSRF attack:

Validation of CSRF token depends on token being present

Some applications correctly validate the token when it is present but skip the validation if the token is omitted.

In this situation, the attacker can remove the entire parameter containing the token (not just its value) to bypass the validation and deliver a CSRF attack:

CSRF token is not tied to the user session

Some applications do not validate that the token belongs to the same session as the user who is making the request. Instead, the application maintains a global pool of tokens that it has issued and accepts any token that appears in this pool.

In this situation, the attacker can log in to the application using their own account, obtain a valid token, and then feed that token to the victim user in their CSRF attack.

CSRF token is tied to a non-session cookie

In a variation on the preceding vulnerability, some applications do tie the CSRF token to a cookie, but not to the same cookie that is used to track sessions. This can easily occur when an application employs two different frameworks, one for session handling and one for CSRF protection, which are not integrated together:

This situation is harder to exploit but is still vulnerable. If the website contains any behavior that allows an attacker to set a cookie in a victim's browser, then an attack is possible. The attacker can log in to the application using their own account, obtain a valid token and associated cookie, leverage the cookie-setting behavior to place their cookie into the victim's browser, and feed their token to the victim in their CSRF attack.

CSRF token is simply duplicated in a cookie

In a further variation on the preceding vulnerability, some applications do not maintain any server-side record of tokens that have been issued, but instead duplicate each token within a cookie and a request parameter. When the subsequent request is validated, the application simply verifies that the token submitted in the request parameter matches the value submitted in the cookie. This is sometimes called the "double submit" defense against CSRF, and is advocated because it is simple to implement and avoids the need for any server-side state:

In this situation, the attacker can again perform a CSRF attack if the website contains any cookie setting functionality. Here, the attacker doesn't need to obtain a valid token of their own. They simply invent a token (perhaps in the required format, if that is being checked), leverage the cookie-setting behavior to place their cookie into the victim's browser, and feed their token to the victim in their CSRF attack.

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