Cross-site scripting request forgeries
Attack of the CSRF

Sometimes, even ING, YouTube, The New York Times, and Google get it wrong.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (also referred to as Cross-Site Reference Forgery, CSRF and XSRF) is apidly becoming a serious security problem of which most programmers and users are blissfully unaware. CSRF is a web-based attack that has grown out of, and remains a close cousin to, the more traditional Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. In an XSS exploit, the attacker inputs malicious content into a web application (e.g., by creating a malformed URL or embedding hostile code in a response box) that results in hostile content such as JavaScript being inserted into otherwise safe content that then is served to the victim. CSRF attacks take it a step further by inserting hostile content that results in an action by the user's web browser, such as changing a filter setting within web-based email or initiating a money transfer from an online bank account.
A CSRF Attack Example
So you go to your favorite social networking site to chat with friends. Unfortunately, the site in question allows users to insert images into web-based conversations (e.g., avatars for a forum). Instead of using a URL such as:
<img src="http://random-site/ image.jpg">
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
There's a New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle is a Linux AI assistant that can work with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.
-
FreeBSD Promises a Full Desktop Installer
FreeBSD has lacked an option to include a full desktop environment during installation.
-
Linux Hits an Important Milestone
If you pay attention to the news in the Linux-sphere, you've probably heard that the open source operating system recently crashed through a ceiling no one thought possible.
-
Plasma Bigscreen Returns
A developer discovered that the Plasma Bigscreen feature had been sitting untouched, so he decided to do something about it.
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.