Answer for the table related to cookie information requested by IBM for Web Query 2.4.0.9.21

The general guidance for the missing httpOnly, Secure, and SameSite attributes for the cookies listed in the table. These attributes are critical for ensuring the security and proper behavior of cookies in web applications, especially for a system like IBM Web Query 2.4.0.9.21, which likely handles sensitive user sessions and data. Below, I’ll explain each attribute, its importance, and provide recommendations based on the cookies' purposes (inferred from their names and descriptions in the table).

1. httpOnly Attribute (yes/no)

What it does:

• The httpOnly flag determines whether a cookie can be accessed by client-side scripts (like JavaScript) or only via HTTP requests (e.g., by the browser when sending requests to the server).
• If set to yes, the cookie is inaccessible to JavaScript, reducing the risk of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks where malicious scripts might steal cookies (e.g., session cookies).

General Guidance:

• When to set httpOnly to yes:
  • For cookies that store sensitive data, like session identifiers (e.g., WF_JSESSIONID, wcSessionID), httpOnly should be set to yes. This prevents attackers from stealing the cookie via XSS attacks.
  • In the table, WF_JSESSIONID is explicitly noted as a session cookie ("duration of this cookie is for the active session"), and wcSessionID likely serves a similar purpose. These should almost always have httpOnly set to yes.
  • Cookies like IBI_FCTKT (possibly a token) and wcAffinityTo (potentially for load balancing or server affinity) may also contain sensitive data and should likely have httpOnly set to yes.
• When to set httpOnly to no:
  • If a cookie needs to be accessed by client-side scripts for legitimate functionality (e.g., a cookie storing a user preference that JavaScript needs to read to dynamically update the UI), httpOnly can be set to no.
  • IBIWF_langu_age (likely storing language preferences) is marked as Functional. If the application needs JavaScript to read this cookie to adjust the UI (e.g., change the language dynamically), httpOnly might be set to no. However, if this can be handled server-side, it’s safer to set it to yes.
• Recommendations:
  • Set httpOnly to yes for:
    • WF_JSESSIONID
    • wcSessionID
    • IBI_FCTKT (if it’s a token)
    • wcAffinityTo
    • serverTime (if it’s sensitive)
    • maxInactiveInterval (if it’s related to session management)
  • Consider httpOnly as no for:
    • IBIWF_langu_age, but only if JavaScript needs to access it. Otherwise, default to yes for better security.

Risk of Not Setting httpOnly:

• If httpOnly is not set (or set to no) for sensitive cookies like WF_JSESSIONID, an XSS vulnerability could allow an attacker to steal the session cookie and hijack the user’s session.

2. Secure Attribute (yes/no)

What it does:

• The Secure flag ensures that the cookie is only sent over secure, encrypted connections (i.e., HTTPS). If set to yes, the browser will not send the cookie over an unencrypted HTTP connection.
• This protects the cookie from being intercepted by attackers in a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

General Guidance:

• When to set Secure to yes:
  • Any cookie that contains sensitive data or is used for authentication/authorization should have Secure set to yes. This applies to most cookies in the table, especially those marked as Required:
    • WF_JSESSIONID (session cookie)
    • wcSessionID (session cookie)
    • IBI_FCTKT (possibly a token)
    • wcAffinityTo (server affinity, often tied to session handling)
    • serverTime and maxInactiveInterval (if they’re used in session management or contain sensitive timing data)
  • In a production environment, especially for a business application like IBM Web Query, it’s best practice to enforce HTTPS for all communications, meaning all cookies should ideally be Secure.
• When to set Secure to no:
  • This is rare in modern applications. You might set Secure to no if the application is running on a local development environment (e.g., http://localhost) where HTTPS isn’t used. However, for production, this is not recommended.
  • IBIWF_langu_age (language preference) might seem like a candidate for Secure: no, but even functional cookies should be Secure if they’re transmitted over the network in a production environment.
• Recommendations:
  • Set Secure to yes for all cookies in the table, assuming this is a production environment:
    • WF_JSESSIONID
    • wcSessionID
    • IBI_FCTKT
    • wcAffinityTo
    • serverTime
    • maxInactiveInterval
    • IBIWF_langu_age
  • If this is a development environment without HTTPS, you might temporarily set Secure to no, but this should never be the case in production.

Risk of Not Setting Secure:

• If Secure is not set (or set to no), the cookie could be transmitted over an unencrypted HTTP connection, making it vulnerable to interception. For session cookies like WF_JSESSIONID, this could lead to session hijacking.

3. SameSite Attribute (None/Strict/Lax)

What it does:

• The SameSite attribute controls whether a cookie is sent with cross-site requests, helping to mitigate cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.
• Possible values:
  • Strict: The cookie is only sent with requests originating from the same site (e.g., if the cookie is set by example.com, it’s only sent for requests to example.com, not for cross-site requests like from malicious.com).
  • Lax: The cookie is sent with top-level navigation (e.g., clicking a link to example.com), but not for other cross-site requests (e.g., a <form> POST from malicious.com).
  • None: The cookie is sent with all requests, including cross-site ones. However, if set to None, the Secure attribute must also be set to yes.

General Guidance:

• When to use SameSite: Strict:
  • Use Strict for cookies that should only be sent in a first-party context, where cross-site requests are not needed. This is ideal for highly sensitive cookies like session tokens.
  • WF_JSESSIONID, wcSessionID, and IBI_FCTKT are good candidates for SameSite: Strict because they’re likely used for authentication or session management, and there’s rarely a legitimate need for them to be sent in cross-site requests.
• When to use SameSite: Lax:
  • Use Lax for cookies that need to be sent during top-level navigations (e.g., when a user clicks a link to your site), but you still want to block most cross-site requests.
  • IBIWF_langu_age (language preference) might be set to Lax if the application expects users to navigate to the site via links (e.g., from an email or another site) and needs the language preference to apply immediately.
  • wcAffinityTo (server affinity) might also use Lax if the application supports cross-site navigations where server affinity needs to be maintained.
• When to use SameSite: None:
  • Use None only if the cookie explicitly needs to be sent with cross-site requests (e.g., for third-party integrations, like embedded widgets or single sign-on (SSO) across domains).
  • If None is used, the Secure attribute must be set to yes.
  • In this table, there’s no clear indication that any cookie requires cross-site sharing (e.g., for SSO or third-party embeds). Therefore, None is likely unnecessary.
• Recommendations:
  • Set SameSite to Strict for:
    • WF_JSESSIONID
    • wcSessionID
    • IBI_FCTKT
    • serverTime (if tied to session management)
    • maxInactiveInterval
  • Set SameSite to Lax for:
    • IBIWF_langu_age (to allow language preferences to apply during navigations)
    • wcAffinityTo (if cross-site navigation is expected, e.g., for load balancing across domains)
  • Avoid SameSite: None unless you have a specific use case (e.g., SSO or third-party integrations), which doesn’t seem to apply here.

Risk of Not Setting SameSite (or Setting Incorrectly):

• If SameSite is not set, browsers may apply a default (modern browsers like Chrome and Firefox default to Lax as of 2020). However, older browsers might treat it as None, making the cookie vulnerable to CSRF attacks.
• Setting SameSite: None without Secure: yes will cause modern browsers to reject the cookie entirely, breaking functionality.

For session cookies like WF_JSESSIONID, not using Strict or Lax could allow an attacker to trick a user into performing an action on the site via a malicious cross-site request.

Additional Considerations:

• • HTTPS Enforcement: Ensure the IBM Web Query application enforces HTTPS in production. If it doesn’t, setting Secure: yes will prevent cookies from being sent, potentially breaking functionality.
  • Browser Compatibility: Modern browsers (as of 2025) enforce stricter cookie policies (e.g., SameSite defaults to Lax, SameSite: None requires Secure). Test the application across supported browsers to ensure compatibility.
  • Session Management: For session cookies (WF_JSESSIONID, wcSessionID), ensure the session timeout (maxInactiveInterval) is reasonable to minimize the window of opportunity for attacks.

Summary of Recommendations for Each Cookie: