Cookie Analyzer

Analyze browser cookies for security attributes including Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite, and expiration. Identify security issues and get recommendations.

Enter one or more cookies to analyze their security

Cookie Security Best Practices

Secure Flag

Secure: Only send over HTTPS connections

HttpOnly Flag

HttpOnly: Prevent JavaScript access (XSS protection)

SameSite Attribute

SameSite: Control cross-site request sending

Cookie Prefixes

__Host- and __Secure- prefixes enforce security requirements

How to Use the Cookie Analyzer

  1. 1

    Copy your cookie data

    Open your browser DevTools (F12), navigate to the Application tab, and find the Cookies section. Copy the cookie string or the full Set-Cookie response header you want to analyze.
  2. 2

    Paste into the analyzer

    Paste the cookie string or Set-Cookie header into the input field. You can analyze a single cookie or multiple cookies separated by newlines.
  3. 3

    Review the security report

    Click Analyze Cookies to generate a detailed security report. Each cookie receives a security score based on its attributes: Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite, expiration, path scope, and prefix usage.
  4. 4

    Fix flagged issues

    Follow the recommendations to add missing security attributes. Prioritize adding the Secure and HttpOnly flags first, then set an appropriate SameSite policy. Re-analyze after making changes to confirm a clean score.

Common Use Cases

1

Pre-deployment security audit

Before launching a web application, analyze all Set-Cookie headers to verify that session tokens and authentication cookies include Secure, HttpOnly, and SameSite=Strict attributes. Catching misconfigurations before deployment prevents session hijacking vulnerabilities.
2

GDPR and privacy compliance

Audit cookies set by your website to identify tracking cookies, analytics cookies, and third-party cookies that require user consent under GDPR and ePrivacy regulations. Pair this analysis with a privacy policy review for full compliance coverage.
3

Penetration testing and bug bounty

During security assessments, quickly evaluate cookie security across multiple endpoints. Identify missing HttpOnly flags that could enable XSS-based session theft, or missing SameSite attributes that leave forms vulnerable to CSRF attacks.
4

Developer education and training

Use the analyzer as a teaching tool to demonstrate how cookie attributes affect security. Paste example cookies with and without security flags to visualize the difference between a properly secured cookie and a vulnerable one.

Why Analyze Cookies?

Cookies without proper security attributes can be stolen via XSS, CSRF, or man-in-the-middle attacks. Understanding cookie security helps protect user sessions.

The Cookie Analyzer is a free online tool that inspects HTTP cookie strings and Set-Cookie headers for security vulnerabilities. It checks every cookie attribute that matters: the Secure flag, HttpOnly protection, SameSite policy, expiration settings, path scope, and cookie prefix compliance. Each cookie receives a security score with specific, actionable recommendations to fix any issues found. All analysis runs entirely in your browser — no cookie data is ever sent to a server.

Properly configured cookies are the foundation of web session security. A missing HttpOnly flag can let an XSS attack steal session tokens. A missing SameSite attribute can leave forms open to CSRF attacks. The Secure flag prevents cookies from leaking over plain HTTP. If you manage web applications, auditing cookies should be part of every release cycle. Pair this tool with the Security Headers Analyzer to check your full HTTP response security, or use the SSL Certificate Checker to verify that the HTTPS connection your Secure cookies depend on is properly configured.

For broader web security audits, combine cookie analysis with a Privacy Policy Checker review to ensure your cookie usage aligns with your published privacy practices. Developers working with JWT-based authentication should also run tokens through the JWT Security Validator to catch signing and expiration issues that cookies alone cannot reveal.

How It Compares

Many cookie analysis approaches exist, from browser DevTools inspection to paid security scanners. Browser DevTools show raw cookie data but do not flag security issues or provide remediation guidance. Paid application security tools like Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP include cookie analysis as part of larger scanning suites, but they require installation, configuration, and often a license fee. The FindUtils Cookie Analyzer fills the gap: it provides instant, focused cookie security analysis with clear recommendations, entirely free and entirely in-browser.

Compared to manual review, an automated analyzer catches issues humans routinely miss, such as SameSite=None without the Secure flag, overly broad path settings, or cookie prefix violations. It is especially valuable during rapid development cycles where cookies are added or modified frequently and a quick validation pass can prevent security regressions from reaching production.

Cookie Security Tips

1
Always set the Secure flag on cookies in production to prevent transmission over unencrypted HTTP connections.
2
Use HttpOnly on session and authentication cookies to block access from JavaScript and reduce XSS attack impact.
3
Set SameSite=Strict for sensitive cookies and SameSite=Lax as a minimum default for all other cookies.
4
Prefer the __Host- prefix for session cookies to enforce HTTPS, exact path, and single-origin scope simultaneously.
5
Set reasonable Max-Age or Expires values instead of relying on session cookies, so stale tokens are automatically purged by the browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What does the Secure flag do?

The Secure flag ensures cookies are only sent over HTTPS connections, preventing interception on unsecured networks.
2

What is HttpOnly?

HttpOnly prevents JavaScript from accessing the cookie, protecting against XSS attacks that try to steal session cookies.
3

What is SameSite?

SameSite controls when cookies are sent with cross-site requests. 'Strict' or 'Lax' helps prevent CSRF attacks.
4

What are cookie prefixes?

__Secure- and __Host- prefixes enforce security requirements. __Host- is the most restrictive, requiring Secure, exact path, and no Domain attribute.
5

How do I check if my cookies are secure?

Paste your Set-Cookie header or cookie string into a cookie analyzer tool. It will check for the Secure flag, HttpOnly attribute, SameSite policy, proper expiration, and cookie prefix usage. Each missing attribute represents a potential vulnerability.

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