Question

How can I use PHP to securely handle user sessions and prevent session hijacking

Answer 1

In PHP, you can handle sessions securely by:

1. Regenerating session IDs to prevent session fixation.
2. Using HTTPS to encrypt session data.
3. Setting secure session cookies.

Here’s a snippet that handles sessions securely:

• session_regenerate_id(): Refreshes the session ID to prevent hijacking.
• session.cookie_httponly: Stops JavaScript from accessing session cookies, reducing XSS risk.
• session.cookie_secure: Makes sure cookies are only sent over HTTPS.