What is Wireshark?

Wireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer. It is used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and communications protocol development, and education. In the context of session hijacking, Wireshark can be used to capture packets transmitted over a network and analyze them for session cookies.

Session Hijacking using Wireshark

Wireshark can be used to perform session hijacking attacks by capturing packets and analyzing them for session cookies. Once the session cookie is obtained, an attacker can impersonate the user and perform actions on their behalf.

Wireshark Code Example

             // Start Wireshark and begin capturing packets
             wireshark &
     
             // Filter for HTTP traffic
             http.request
     
             // Look for the "Cookie" string in the packet details
             http.cookie
             

This is a simple example of how to use Wireshark to capture packets and filter for HTTP requests containing cookies.

Preventing Session Hijacking

Preventing session hijacking involves using secure connections, regularly regenerating session IDs, and setting the HttpOnly flag for cookies. Secure connections (HTTPS) encrypt the data between the client and the server, making it harder for an attacker to steal the session cookie. Regularly regenerating session IDs makes it harder for an attacker to predict the session ID. Setting the HttpOnly flag for cookies prevents client-side scripts from accessing them, protecting them from theft.