Instead of using a cookie you can add JSESSIONID to your URL like -> http://my.server.com/page.jsp;jsessionid=session-id?param=value.
Your application server will probably still only pick up the cookie value instead of the session id value from the URL. You will have to disable cookie session ids in your application server. See the cookies context attribute here for how to do this in Tomcat: http://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-6.0-doc/config/context.html On May 4, 8:39 am, John Denley <[email protected]> wrote: > OK Just for completeness for anyone reading this regarding "how do sessions > work", here is my summary (apologies that this is a somewhat App Engine > biased response, and these steps are only designed for a native GWT/GAE > installation, I cannot comment on any other framework) > > 1. App Engine does not by default have sessions turned on (you have to > add the following to your 'appengine.web.xml' file) > - <sessions-enabled>true</sessions-enabled> > 2. To Set a default timeout for App Engine sessions you need to add > the following to your 'web.xml' file > - <session-config> > <session-timeout>60</session-timeout> <!-- minutes of inactivity --> > </session-config> > 3. on your server you can use the following to 'get' your current > session: > - HttpSession session = this.getThreadLocalRequest().getSession(); > 4. Then once you have confirmed that the user has performed a successful > login you do something like the following: > - session.setAttribute("authenticatedUserName", username); > 5. Then later when your server recieves any request for data you include > the following code: > - if > > (this.getThreadLocalRequest().getSession().getAttribute("authenticatedUserName") > != null) > { > //get the data and send it back > } > else > { > //send back an error message stating that the session has > timed out > } > 6. You can manually invalidate the session (eg if the user clicks logout) > by using: > - this.getThreadLocalRequest().getSession().invalidate(); > 7. Each time the Client makes an RPC call to the server (Assuming the > Session is still valid (ie not timed out)) then the Session is > automatically > refreshed with a timeout set to whatever you set above in the web.xml file > 8. On the Client Side you can use the following line to establish the > session ID (if cookies are enabled): > - String jSessionId=Cookies.getCookie("JSESSIONID"); > 9. You should however probably take care of what happens if Cookies are > not enabled, you can test this with: > - if (Cookies.isCookieEnabled()) {/*deal with someone who has cookies > disabled*/} > 10. However, this is relatively meaningless until you check with the > server that the session is actually still "valid" as the session validity > is > ALWAYS controlled by the server. There is no real way to confirm on the > client side that the user is logged in and still had a valid session until > you connect to the server and ask for some data. However, you could set a > flag on the client for efficiency to determine for instance which > buttons/popups are enabled/available after a user is logged in rather than > having to keep asking the server. > > Incidentally, does anyone know how to turn off cookies, if you dont actually > want to use them, and yet still use sessions on the server? Id rather not > have the prompt appear that says that my site needs cookies enabled, > especially if im not actually using them!! > > Hope this helps some people reading this, feel free to comment or correct if > ive done anything wrong! > John > > On 28 April 2010 00:55, John Denley <[email protected]> wrote: > > > OK, I think Im getting somewhere with all this, thanks so much for your > > input Sri! > > > Essentially all I need is an interim solution until GAE supports SSL. We > > are actually not going to be storing data thats likely to be particularly > > exciting for any hacker, the best they can hope for is a list of addresses > > of people who use any one hairdresser in any one town! > > > Regarding the "5 points" (Which I think we can now cut down to just one > > (the use of sessions) going forward!) > > > 1. I understand that any kind of encryption on the client is > > effectively pointless without SSL, but its always going to be better than > > nothing! A bit like saying that hding your front door key under a rock in > > your neighbours front garden is no different to leaving it in your front > > door........ > > 2. I figured TLS was something like SSL, either way its not on GAE yet, > > so I cant use it yet! > > 3. My passwords are being salted and hashed > > (jBcrypt<http://www.mindrot.org/projects/jBCrypt/>) > > before being stored. > > 4. & 5. Still not sure i get how sessions really work. Ill keep reading > > and trying to figure it out. But surely at some point I still need to > > send > > the session ID from the server to the client right? As far as I can tell > > so > > far, the session ID is generated on the server, so the right thing to do > > it > > set a timeout on that sessionID and "touch" it every time the user makes > > a > > call to the server, making sure that the sessionID has not timed out. > > There > > are mentions in various places that you should "refresh/regenerate" the > > sessionID on a regular basis during a logged in session, to keep it > > fresh..... > > > On 27 April 2010 10:16, Sripathi Krishnan <[email protected]>wrote: > > >> If you can recommend a security framework that works with App Engine and > >>> custom URL's without SSL/HTTPS and has really good documentsation for > >>> complete dummies then please do let me know.... > > >> As far as I know, the above is impossible. You cannot have security > >> without ssl. You cannot have a custom domain *and* ssl *and* GAE (because > >> it is prohibitively expensive for google). And you have already starred > >> the GAE > >> issue that speaks about > >> it<http://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/issues/detail?id=792>, > >> so there really isn't anything new for me to add. > >> If you cannot use google's authentication, and if you can't use any of the > >> (not-so-secure) workarounds described in that issue, I am afraid there is > >> no > >> way you can use GAE. I'd recommend discussing this in GAE discussion thread > >> to get ideas from people. Either that, or just wait till GAE starts > >> supporting SSL. > > >> Additional responses to your comments > > >> 1. It doesn't matter what encryption method you use on client side; it > >> may be the most secure algo on earth. The problem is with the key > >> management. JS code needs the key to encrypt. And if it is in the JS > >> code, > >> an attacker will always be able to get it. Ofuscation is just a very > >> minor > >> hurdle, its easy to read through it. > >> 2. TLS is transport layer > >> security<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security>, > >> which is essentially the new SSL. > >> 3. On the server side as well - you should NOT encrypt passwords. > >> Encryption means there is a way to decrypt and recover the password. If > >> you > >> can decrypt it, an attacker will find a way as well. The recommended > >> way to > >> store passwords is to Salt and Hash > >> them<http://www.aspheute.com/english/20040105.asp> > >> . > >> 4. Sessions can loosely be described as > >> 'per-user-server-side-hashmap'. The server automatically creates a > >> cookie > >> 'jsessionid' to track the user. So when you call request.getSession(), > >> the > >> container gets the session id from the jsessionid cookie and then gets > >> the > >> state corresponding to that sessionid. You should read more about this > >> in > >> the j2ee tutorial. > >> 5. I'd recommend OWASPs guide to session > >> management<http://www.owasp.org/index.php/Session_Management>. > >> If you are interested in application security, OWASP is the best place > >> to > >> learn. > > >> --Sri > > >> On 27 April 2010 12:54, John Denley <[email protected]> wrote: > > >>> Awesome response SRI, and with a bit of luck this will help all those > >>> hundreds of people on here who are struggling with how to implement decent > >>> security. > > >>> Ive spent months wrestling with security, after finding out that Google > >>> accounts doesnt have a good enough API for use with GWT/GAE.....and that > >>> GAE > >>> doesnt support SSL/HTTPS for custom URLs (eg in my casewww.ucanzoom.com > >>> ) > > >>> What struck me immediately is how easy it was for you to figure out what > >>> my client side code was doing, esp given that GWT should be obfuscating > >>> the > >>> code, which I thought would me making it pretty hard to actually "read my > >>> source code"... > > >>> Ill address your points individually and I would very much appreciate any > >>> further feedback you are willing to give. > > >>> 1. The client side encryption is just trying to make it as hard as > >>> possible for "people like you";) to crack my password, ive had loads of > >>> people say "theres no point doing client side encryption", but my > >>> feeling is > >>> that you have to do SOMETHING on the client side, even if it does only > >>> take > >>> a determined hacker half an hour to figure it out. At least im forcing > >>> someone to consider whether or not its really worthwhile bothering to > >>> spend > >>> that time trying to crack my encryption. Even the fact that you have > >>> referred to it as "some kind of encryption" makes me smile, as you are > >>> right > >>> in that I have created what i think is a pretty tough encryption. Id be > >>> interested to hear what kinds of methods a determined hacker might use > >>> to > >>> crack it, as Im fairly happy that the only way to actually do that > >>> would be > >>> to examine the source code. I dont think that any kind of brute force > >>> will > >>> succeed, but Im reasonbly OK if brute force will work, as stated > >>> earlier in > >>> this response! Im not happy that you can find the "secret key" id > >>> forgotten > >>> to hide that... Ill get onto that ;) > >>> 2. Ive never heard of TLS, but SSL is not currently available for > >>> custom URLs on Google App Engine, which is why I cant use it. > >>> Extracting the > >>> password is something that worries me, however I am somewhat relying > >>> on the > >>> sessionID to provide a unique "connection" once the user has just > >>> logged in > >>> once (see some comments below on > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google Web Toolkit" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/google-web-toolkit?hl=en.
