NAME
Catalyst::Plugin::HashedCookies - Tamper-resistant HTTP Cookies
VERSION
version 1.123540
SYNOPSIS
use Catalyst qw/HashedCookies/;
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies} = {
key => $secret_key,
algorithm => 'SHA1', # optional
required => 1, # optional
};
MyApp->setup;
# later, in another part of MyApp...
print "this cookie tastes good!\n"
if $c->request->valid_cookie('my_cookie_name');
DESCRIPTION
Overview
When HTTP cookies are used to store a user's state or identity it's
important that your application is able to distinguish legitimate
cookies from those that have been edited or created by a malicious user.
This module allows you to determine whether a cookie presented by a
client was created in its current state by your own application.
Implementation
HashedCookies adds a keyed cryptographic hash to each cookie that your
application creates, and checks every client-provided cookie for a valid
hash.
This is done in a transparent way such that you do not need to change
any application code that handles cookies when using this plugin. A
cookie that fails to contain a valid hash will still be available to
your application through "$c->request->cookie()".
Two additional methods within the Catalyst request object allow you to
check the status (in other words, the vailidity) of your cookies.
METHODS
Catalyst Request Object Methods
"$c->request->valid_cookie($cookie_name)"
If a cookie was successfully authenticated then this method will
return True, otherwise it will return False.
"$c->request->invalid_cookie($cookie_name)"
If a cookie failed its authentication, then this method will return
True, otherwise it will return False. Please read the
"CONFIGURATION" section below to understand what 'failed
authentication' really means.
CONFIGURATION
key
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies}->{key} = $secret_key;
This parameter is required, and sets the secret key that is used to
generate a message authentication hash. Clearly, for a returned
cookie to be authenticated the same key must be used both when
setting the cookie and retrieving it.
algorithm
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies}->{algorithm} = 'SHA1';
# or
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies}->{algorithm} = 'MD5';
This parameter is optional, and will default to "SHA1" if not set.
It instructs the module to use the given message digest algorithm.
required
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies}->{required} = 0;
# or
MyApp->config->{hashedcookies}->{required} = 1;
This parameter is optional, and will default to 1 if not set.
If a cookie is read from the client but does not contain a
HashedCookies hash (i.e. this module was not running when the cookie
was set), then this parameter controls whether the cookie is
ignored.
Setting this parameter to True means that a cookie without a hash is
treated as if it did have a hash, and therefore the authentication
will fail. Setting this parameter to False means that the cookie
will be ignored.
When a cookie is ignored, neither "$c->request->valid_cookie()" nor
"$c->request->invalid_cookie()" will return True, but you can of
course still access the cookie through "$c->request->cookie()".
DIAGNOSTICS
'Request for unknown digest algorithm to ...'
You have attempted to configure this module with an unrecognized
message digest algorithm. Please see the "CONFIGURATION" section for
the valid algorithms.
'"key" is a required configuration parameter to ...'
You have forgotten to set the secret key that is used to generate a
message authentication hash. See the "SYNOPSIS" or "CONFIGURATION"
section for examples of how to set this parameter.
'Attempted use of restricted ("_hashedcookies_*") value in cookie'
This module adds values to your cookie, and to avoid clashes with
your own values they are named in a special way. If you try to set a
cookie with values matching this special name format, your Catalyst
Engine's default error handler will be triggered, and the response
status code will be set to "500".
You cannot trap such errors because they are raised after all the
application code has run, but you will see the above error in your
log file, and your Application will certainly halt so that Catalyst
can display its error page.
'Please make a Request subclass for your application which isa
Catalyst::Request::HashedCookies'
In order to properly hook into Catalyst, you need a Class for the
Catalyst Request object which isa
"Catalyst::Request::HashedCookies". This error is thrown not if you
are using "Catalyst::Request" as the Class (this is detected and
worked around), but instead some 3rd party Class.
It can happen, apparently, to "Catalyst::Action::REST" users. Please
check the Catalyst wiki for some examples on how to fix your
application.
DEPENDENCIES
Other than the natural dependencies of Catalyst and the contents of the
standard Perl distribution, you will need the following:
* Digest::HMAC
BUGS
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
"bug-catalyst-plugin-hashedcookies@rt.cpan.org", or through the web
interface at
<http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Catalyst-Plugin-HashedCo
okies>. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of
progress on your bug as I make changes.
SEE ALSO
Catalyst, Digest::HMAC_SHA1, Digest::HMAC_MD5
<http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/08/new_cryptanalyt.html>
AUTHOR
Oliver Gorwits <oliver@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2012 by University of Oxford.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.