Session Management Analysis

Session handling represents a critical security area requiring manual analysis. ZAP's session tracking features help understand how applications manage user sessions. Identify session tokens in cookies, headers, or URL parameters. Test session fixation by providing known session IDs, session hijacking by reusing captured tokens, and timeout enforcement by using old sessions.

The Params tab aggregates all parameters seen during testing, revealing session management patterns. Look for multiple session identifiers suggesting complex session management. Identify anti-CSRF tokens and test their validation. Find state parameters that might enable workflow bypass. This aggregated view reveals security mechanisms that individual request inspection might miss.

Cookie analysis requires special attention in modern applications. Use ZAP's Break features to modify cookie attributes, testing httpOnly and secure flag enforcement. Remove cookies to verify server-side session validation. Modify cookie values to test for weak encryption or signing. Understanding cookie security helps identify session management vulnerabilities.