How to Set Cookies with \"SameSite=Strict\" in PHP: A Guide for Developers

PHP Cookies: Supporting "SameSite=Strict"

Introduction

With the evolving standards of web security, the setting of cookies has gained significant attention. One of the crucial updates is the introduction of the "SameSite" attribute, which enhances protection against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and session hijacking.

Current PHP Support for "SameSite=Strict"

Starting from PHP version 7.3, the creation of cookies with the "SameSite" attribute has been fully supported. Developers can now utilize the $options array to set the samesite value, enabling more secure cookie management.

Options for Older PHP Versions

For PHP versions prior to 7.3, alternative solutions exist to incorporate the "SameSite" attribute into cookies. These approaches include:

1. Apache Configuration:

Apache users can add the following line to their configuration file to update all cookies with the SameSite=Lax flag:

Header always edit Set-Cookie (.*) "; SameSite=Lax"

2. Nginx Configuration:

Nginx users can use the following configuration to achieve the same result:

location / {
    # your usual config ...
    # hack, set all cookies to secure, httponly and samesite (strict or lax)
    proxy_cookie_path / "/; secure; HttpOnly; SameSite=strict";
}

3. Header Method:

Cookies can be set directly through the header method, allowing for the inclusion of the "SameSite" attribute:

<code class="php">header("Set-Cookie: key=value; path=/; domain=example.org; HttpOnly; SameSite=Lax");</code>

4. Cookie Setting Bug:

A known bug in the setcookie method prior to PHP 7.3 can be exploited to set the "SameSite" attribute:

<code class="php">setcookie('cookie-name', '1', 0, '/; samesite=strict');</code>

Note: This bug has been resolved in PHP 7.3, and using it should be avoided.

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