CSRF, IDOR & Broken Access Control

Cross-Site Request Forgery, Insecure Direct Object References & Authorization Bypass

Advanced Web Security
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Authorization & Session Security Fundamentals

Understanding Authorization Vulnerabilities

🔐 What is Authorization?

Authorization is the process of determining what an authenticated user is allowed to do. When authorization controls are broken, attackers can access resources or perform actions they shouldn't be able to.

Authorization vs Authentication:
• Authentication: Who you are (identity verification)
• Authorization: What you can do (permission control)
• Broken authorization = Wrong person accessing resources

🎯 Common Authorization Flaws

  • Missing Authorization: No access control checks implemented
  • Broken Authorization: Flawed logic in permission checks
  • Forced Browsing: Accessing restricted URLs directly
  • Privilege Escalation: Gaining higher-level permissions

🌐 Session Management

Proper session management is crucial for authorization. Sessions identify users across multiple requests and maintain their authentication state.

Session Security Best Practices:
• Use secure, random session identifiers
• Implement proper session timeout
• Regenerate session IDs on privilege changes
• Store session data securely on server-side

Attack Vectors & Impact

💥 Real-World Impact

  • Data Breaches: Accessing other users' sensitive information
  • Account Takeover: Modifying other users' account settings
  • Financial Loss: Unauthorized transactions or purchases
  • Reputation Damage: Loss of customer trust and regulatory penalties

🔍 Detection Methods

# Manual Testing
• Try accessing admin URLs without authentication
• Modify user IDs in parameters
• Test role-based access controls
# Automated Tools
• Burp Suite Autorize extension
• OWASP ZAP Access Control Testing
• Custom authorization testing scripts