cookie breaker Interview Questions and Answers
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What is a cookie breaker?
- Answer: A "cookie breaker" is a colloquial term, not a formally defined role. It generally refers to someone who specializes in bypassing or exploiting browser cookies and their associated mechanisms, often for malicious purposes (e.g., session hijacking, tracking evasion) or for ethical hacking/security testing.
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What are some common types of cookies?
- Answer: Common cookie types include session cookies (temporary, expire when browser closes), persistent cookies (remain on the machine for a specified time), first-party cookies (set by the website being visited), third-party cookies (set by a different domain), and HTTPOnly cookies (cannot be accessed by JavaScript).
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How do cookies work?
- Answer: Websites send small text files (cookies) to the user's browser. The browser stores them and sends them back to the server with each subsequent request, allowing the server to maintain state information about the user (e.g., login status, shopping cart contents).
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What are the security risks associated with cookies?
- Answer: Security risks include session hijacking (stealing a user's session cookie to impersonate them), cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks that manipulate cookies, cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks using cookies to perform unauthorized actions, and tracking and privacy violations.
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How can cookies be used for tracking?
- Answer: Websites and third-party advertisers use cookies to track user browsing behavior across multiple sites, creating profiles of user interests and activities. This data is used for targeted advertising and other purposes.
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What are some techniques used to protect against cookie-based attacks?
- Answer: Techniques include using HTTPS to encrypt cookie traffic, setting the "secure" and "HttpOnly" flags on cookies, using short-lived session cookies, employing strong session management practices, implementing robust input validation, and using web application firewalls (WAFs).
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What is the role of HTTPOnly flags in cookie security?
- Answer: The HttpOnly flag prevents client-side scripts (like JavaScript) from accessing cookies, mitigating XSS attacks that try to steal or manipulate cookie data.
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What is the difference between first-party and third-party cookies?
- Answer: First-party cookies are set by the website the user is currently visiting, while third-party cookies are set by a different domain (often an advertiser or analytics service) embedded on that website.
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How can you detect and remove cookies?
- Answer: Browsers provide settings to view and manage cookies. Developers can use browser developer tools to inspect cookies. Many browser extensions also offer cookie management and removal functionalities.
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