manual/en/features.cookies.php

20150401_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20150306_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT, DATE APPROXIMATE

Full text changes — 20150306_rev01 to 20150401_rev01

33Any cookies sent to you from the client will automatically be included into a [$\_COOKIE](http://php.net/manual/en/reserved.variables.cookies.php) auto-global array if [variables\_order](http://php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php) contains "C". If you wish to assign multiple values to a single cookie, just add _\[\]_ to the cookie name.
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55Depending on [register\_globals](http://php.net/manual/en/ini.core.php), regular PHP variables can be created from cookies. However it's not recommended to rely on them as this feature is often turned off for the sake of security.
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77For more details, including notes on browser bugs, see the [setcookie()](http://php.net/manual/en/function.setcookie.php) and [setrawcookie()](http://php.net/manual/en/function.setrawcookie.php) function.
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11[**_Tugrul_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
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13**23 days ago**
14
15`Setting new cookie ============================= <?php setcookie("name","value",time()+$int); /*name is your cookie's name value is cookie's value $int is time of cookie expires*/ ?> Getting Cookie ============================= <?php echo $_COOKIE["your cookie name"]; ?> Updating Cookie ============================= <?php setcookie("color","red"); echo $_COOKIE["color"]; /*color is red*/ /* your codes and functions*/ setcookie("color","blue"); echo $_COOKIE["color"]; /*new color is blue*/ ?> Deleting Cookie ============================== <?php unset($_COOKIE["yourcookie"]); /*Or*/ setcookie("yourcookie","yourvalue",time()-1); /*it expired so it's deleted*/ ?> Reference: [http://gencbilgin.net/php-cookie-kullanimi.html](http://gencbilgin.net/php-cookie-kullanimi.html)`
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17\-1
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1119[**_Henry_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
1220
1321**5 years ago**
1422
1523`It is better to note not to attach your cookies to and IP and block the IP if it is different as some people use Portable Browsers which will remember the cookies. It is better to show a login screen instead if the IP does not correspond to the session cookie's IP.`
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27[**_myfirstname at braincell dot cx_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
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29**11 years ago**
30
31`[Editor's note: Wilson's comment has been deleted since it didn't contain much useful information, but this note is preserved although its reference is lost]`
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33`Just a general comment on Wilton's code snippet: It's generally considered very bad practice to store usernames and/or passwords in cookies, whether or not they're obsfucated. Many spyware programs make a point of stealing cookie contents.`
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35`A much better solution would be to either use the PHP built in session handler or create something similar using your own cookie-based session ID. This session ID could be tied to the source IP address or can be timed out as required but since the ID can be expired separately from the authentication criteria the authentication itself is not compromised.`
36
37`Stuart Livings`
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39\-1
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1941[**_ingen at stocken.ws_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
2042
2143**8 years ago**
2244
2345`If you want a secured session not tied to the client IP you can use the valid-for-one-query method below, but to safeguard against a scenario where the legitimate user clicks twice, you can use a shutdown function (register_shutdown_function)*.`
2446
3961`If you need a javascript for md5: [http://pajhome.org.uk/crypt/md5/md5src.html](http://pajhome.org.uk/crypt/md5/md5src.html)`
4062
4163`---`
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4365`* You could use session_set_save_handler and make sure the session ID is generated in the open function. I haven't done that so I can't make any comments on it yet.`
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67\-13
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47[**_myfirstname at braincell dot cx_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
48
49**11 years ago**
50
51`[Editor's note: Wilson's comment has been deleted since it didn't contain much useful information, but this note is preserved although its reference is lost]`
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53`Just a general comment on Wilton's code snippet: It's generally considered very bad practice to store usernames and/or passwords in cookies, whether or not they're obsfucated. Many spyware programs make a point of stealing cookie contents.`
54
55`A much better solution would be to either use the PHP built in session handler or create something similar using your own cookie-based session ID. This session ID could be tied to the source IP address or can be timed out as required but since the ID can be expired separately from the authentication criteria the authentication itself is not compromised.`
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57`Stuart Livings`
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59\-9
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6169[**_Anonymous_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
6270
6371**1 year ago**
6472
6573`Your note is too short. Trying to test the notes system? Save us the trouble of deleting your test, and don't. It works.`
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67\-9
75\-11
6876
6977[**_bmorency at jbmlogic dot com_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
7078
7179**9 years ago**
7280
7381`In response to the solution posted in the comment below, there are some practical issues with this solution that must be kept in mind and handled by your code. I developed an application using a similar "use-it-once" key to manage sessions and it worked great but we got some complaints about legitimate users getting logged out without reasons. Turns out the problem was not tentative highjacking, it was either:`
7583`A- Users double click on links or make 2 clicks very fast. The same key is sent for the 2 clicks because the new key from the first click didn't get to the browser on time for the second one but the session on the server did trash the key for the new one. Thus, the second click causes a termination of the session. (install the LiveHttpHeaders extension on firefox and look at the headers sent when you click twice very fast, you'll see the same cookie sent on both and the new cookie getting back from the server too late).`
7684
7785`B- For any given reason, the server experiences a slow down and the response with the new key (which has replaced the old one on the server) is not returned to the browser fast enough. The user gets tired of waiting and clicks somewhere else. He gets logged out because this second click send the old key which won't match the one you have on your server.`
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7987`Our solution was to set up a grace period where the old key was still valid (the current key and the previous key were both kept at all times, we used 15 seconds as a grace period where the old key could still be used). This has the drawback of increasing the window of time for a person to highjack the session but if you tie the validity of the old key to an IP address and/or user agent string, you still get pretty good session security with very very few undesired session termination.`
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8290
8391[**_mega-squall at caramail dot com_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
8492
8593**10 years ago**
8694
8795`I found a solution for protecting session ID without tying them to client's IP. Each session ID gives access for only ONE querry. On the next querry, another session ID is generated and stored. If somebody hacks the cookie (or the session ID), the first one of the user and the pirate that will use the cookie will get the second disconnected, because the session ID has been used.`
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8997`If the user gets disconnected, he will reconnect : as my policy is not to have more than one session ID for each user (sessions entries have a UNIQUE key on the collomn in which is stored user login), every entries for that user gets wiped, a new session ID is generated and stored on users dirve : the pirate gets disconnected. This lets the pirate usually just a few seconds to act. The slower visitors are browsing, the longer is the time pirates get for hacking. Also, if users forget to explicitly end their sessions .... some of my users set timeout longer than 20 minutes !`
9098
9199`IMPORTANT NOTE : This disables the ability of using the back button if you send the session ID via POST or GET.`
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101\-25
94102
95103[**_kalla\_durga at gmail dot com_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
96104
97105**9 years ago**
98106
99107`In response to the solution posted in the comment below, there are some practical issues with this solution that must be kept in mind and handled by your code. I developed an application using a similar "use-it-once" key to manage sessions and it worked great but we got some complaints about legitimate users getting logged out without reasons. Turns out the problem was not tentative highjacking, it was either:`
101109`A- Users double click on links or make 2 clicks very fast. The same key is sent for the 2 clicks because the new key from the first click didn't get to the browser on time for the second one but the session on the server did trash the key for the new one. Thus, the second click causes a termination of the session. (install the LiveHttpHeaders extension on firefox and look at the headers sent when you click twice very fast, you'll see the same cookie sent on both and the new cookie getting back from the server too late).`
102110
103111`B- For any given reason, the server experiences a slow down and the response with the new key (which has replaced the old one on the server) is not returned to the browser fast enough. The user gets tired of waiting and clicks somewhere else. He gets logged out because this second click send the old key which won't match the one you have on your server.`
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105113`Our solution was to set up a grace period where the old key was still valid (the current key and the previous key were both kept at all times, we used 15 seconds as a grace period where the old key could still be used). This has the drawback of increasing the window of time for a person to highjack the session but if you tie the validity of the old key to an IP address and/or user agent string, you still get pretty good session security with very very few undesired session termination.`
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108116
109117[**_meetyashah at gmail dot com_**](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php) [¶](http://php.net/manual/en/features.cookies.php)
110118
111119**1 year ago**
112120
113121`PAGE 1`