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Difference between revisions of "HTTP Strict Transport Security"

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m (Always Use includeSubDomains)
(Always Use includeSubDomains: This is an attack from site owners against users, therefore setting includeSubdomains does not help, since the attacking site owner would just not do it)
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The `preload` flag indicates the site owner's consent to have their domain preloaded. The site owner still needs to then go and submit the domain to the list.
 
The `preload` flag indicates the site owner's consent to have their domain preloaded. The site owner still needs to then go and submit the domain to the list.
  
== Always Use <i>includeSubDomains</i> ==
+
== Problems ==
  
The lack of use of includeSubDomains can lead to a significant privacy leak[http://www.leviathansecurity.com/blog/the-double-edged-sword-of-hsts-persistence-and-privacy]. Be sure to use includeSubDomains on all wildcard certificates, at least.
+
Site owners can use HSTS to identify users without cookies. This can lead to a significant privacy leak[http://www.leviathansecurity.com/blog/the-double-edged-sword-of-hsts-persistence-and-privacy].
  
 
== Browser Support ==
 
== Browser Support ==

Revision as of 22:09, 1 August 2015


Description

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is an opt-in security enhancement that is specified by a web application through the use of a special response header. Once a supported browser receives this header that browser will prevent any communications from being sent over HTTP to the specified domain and will instead send all communications over HTTPS. It also prevents HTTPS click through prompts on browsers.

The specification has been released and published end of 2012 as RFC 6797 (HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)) by the IETF. (Reference see in the links at the bottom.)

Threats

HSTS addresses the following threats:

  • User bookmarks or manually types http://example.com and is subject to a man-in-the-middle attacker
    • HSTS automatically redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS for the target domain
  • Web application that is intended to be purely HTTPS inadvertently contains HTTP links or serves content over HTTP
    • HSTS automatically redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS for the target domain
  • A man-in-the-middle attacker attempts to intercept traffic from a victim user using an invalid certificate and hopes the user will accept the bad certificate
    • HSTS does not allow a user to override the invalid certificate message

Examples

Simple example, using a long (1 year) max-age:

 Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000

If all present and future subdomains will be HTTPS:

 Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains

Recommended: If the site owner would like their domain to be included in the HSTS preload list maintained by Chrome (and used by Firefox and Safari), then use:

 Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload

The `preload` flag indicates the site owner's consent to have their domain preloaded. The site owner still needs to then go and submit the domain to the list.

Problems

Site owners can use HSTS to identify users without cookies. This can lead to a significant privacy leak[1].

Browser Support

Browser
Support Introduced
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7[2]
Firefox
4
Opera
12
Safari
Mavericks (Mac OS X 10.9)
Chrome
4.0.211.0


A detailed overview of supporting browsers can be found at caniuse.com.

Links