What role does HTTP 'VERB' play in CSRF attacks and how can it be used to prevent such attacks?
HTTP “VERB” plays a significant role in CSRF attacks. It determines the type of request sent to the server, with GET and POST being most common. In CSRF attacks, attackers exploit these verbs, especially GET due to its simplicity.
GET requests are easy targets as they can be triggered via image tags or simply visiting a malicious site. POST requests require more effort but can still be exploited through forms on compromised sites.
To prevent CSRF attacks, it’s advisable to avoid using GET for state-changing operations. Instead, use POST, PUT, DELETE which are less likely to be exploited since they require specific user actions.
Additionally, implementing anti-CSRF tokens can help. These unique, unpredictable values associated with each session make it difficult for an attacker to forge a valid request.
Another method is SameSite Cookies attribute that restricts cookies to first-party contexts, preventing them from being sent along with cross-site requests.
