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Security Operations · Intermediate

Session Hijacking

Taking over a valid user session by stealing or predicting its session identifier or token.

Definition

Attackers obtain session cookies through XSS, infostealer malware, on-path interception or AiTM phishing, then present them to impersonate the user without needing credentials or MFA. Secure, HttpOnly and SameSite cookie flags, short session lifetimes, token binding and re-authentication for sensitive actions mitigate it.

Example

Importing a stolen session cookie into a browser to access a victim's webmail.

Exam tip

Session hijacking bypasses MFA; revoking sessions is required during response.

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