INTRO

Improper session management is a security vulnerability where the application fails to properly manage the user's session . This could lead to various security risks such as unauthorized access, session hijacking, or in this case , validating a session after an account has been deleted 

if a user's account has been deleted, their session should be immediately invalidated to prevent any further access to the application using that session. All session tokens or identifiers associated with the deleted account should be revoked or rendered unusable.

Risks

  • Unauthorized Access: Even though the user's account is deleted, if the session remains valid, an attacker could exploit this to gain unauthorized access to the application.
  • Data Leakage: If the deleted account had access to sensitive data, allowing the session to remain valid could potentially lead to data leakage or unauthorized retrieval of sensitive information.
  • Session Hijacking: An attacker could potentially hijack the session of the deleted account and impersonate the user, leading to fraudulent activities or unauthorized actions on the platform.

Findings 

I spent a lot of time testing the web app last night, but I didn’t find any vulnerabilities. I continued through the test and the website sessions were functioning properly. After opening my account in two browsers, I deleted my account in one. The session was not invalidated as a result.

It seems, the invalidation of the session actually happens in the Site itself and is hence not enforced on server side reported it company give me 250$



FIX 

  • Immediate Session Invalidation upon Account Deletion: Ensure that when a user account is deleted, all associated sessions are immediately invalidated. This prevents any further access to the application using the deleted account's session.
  • Use of Strong Session Tokens: Generate strong and unique session tokens for each user session. Employ cryptographic techniques to generate these tokens, making them difficult to guess or brute-force.
  • Session Expiry Policies: Implement session expiry policies to limit the duration of sessions. Force users to re-authenticate after a certain period of inactivity or elapsed time to reduce the window of opportunity for attackers.
  • Session Revocation Mechanisms: Provide users with the ability to manually revoke their sessions from active devices or sessions. This empowers users to take control of their account security and invalidate any suspicious sessions.
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Implement 2FA to add an extra layer of security to user authentication. Even if an attacker obtains a valid session token, they would still need an additional factor (e.g., OTP sent to a registered device) to access the account.
  • Regular Security Audits and Testing: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in session management. This includes testing for improper session management, session fixation, session hijacking, and other related risks.
  • Secure Transmission of Session Tokens: Ensure that session tokens are transmitted securely over HTTPS to prevent interception or eavesdropping by malicious actors.
  • Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring and logging mechanisms to track session activities and detect any suspicious behavior. Monitor for anomalies such as simultaneous logins from multiple geographically distant locations or rapid succession of login attempts.
  • Educate Users on Secure Practices: Educate users on secure session management practices, such as logging out from shared or public devices, avoiding the use of public Wi-Fi for sensitive
  • Implement Session Integrity Checks: Implement mechanisms to check the integrity of session data to detect tampering attempts. Hash session data along with a secret key to prevent modification by attackers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mitigating improper session management risks is essential for maintaining the security and integrity of your application. By implementing robust session management practices, such as immediate session invalidation upon account deletion, using strong session tokens, enforcing session expiry policies, and employing additional security measures like 2FA, you can effectively reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and session-related attacks. Regular security audits, monitoring, and user education also play crucial roles in ensuring the ongoing security of your application. By prioritizing proper session management and following best practices, you can strengthen your application's defenses against session-related vulnerabilities and enhance overall security posture.