The global retailer obscures the CSRF tokens with Facebook

01 April 2025Hacker NewsWeb -security / matching GDPR

Are your safety tokens?

Learn how reflectiz has helped giant retailers put pixel on Facebook, which hidden tracking sensitive CSRF tokens with the erroneous errors. Learn about the detection process, response strategy and steps to mitigate this critical question. Download full case study there.

Introducing Reflectiz Recommendations, retail trade avoided the following:

• Potential GDPR fines (up to 20 million euros or 4% turn)
• The cost of data violation is $ 3.9 million (average)
• 5% of buyers

Introduction

You may not know much about CSRF tokens, but as an Internet shop, you need to know enough to avoid casual dead on Facebook Pixel. Doing this wrong can mean huge fines from data protection regulators, so the purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of the problem and explain the best way to protect your business from it.

You can study this key problem more deeply by downloading our free new thematic study on the subject (Hence). This goes through a real example when it happened with global online lifestyles. This explains the question they faced in more detail, but this article is a review of the size of the threat bite so that you overcome the speed.

Let’s take a closer look at how this problem unfolded and why it is important for online safety.

What happened and why it is important

In a nutshell, the decision to monitor the threat on the Internet called Reflectiz revealed data leaks in the seller systems that others did not: his pixel on Facebook obscured the security technology called CSRF -Tokens, which he must store under the wraps.

CSRF tokens were invented to stop the CSRF that stands for Fake a request on the site. This is the type of cyberattack that involves the deception of the web -the application to perform certain actions, convincing it that they have gone from the authentified user.

Essentially, it uses trust that has a web application in the user’s browser.

Here’s how it works:

• The victim entered a reliable web -resort (such as their Internet banking).
• The attacker creates a malicious link or scenario and cheats the victim to press it (this can happen by email, social media or other site).
• The malicious link sends a request to a trusted web -resite. Because the victim is already authenticated, their browser automatically includes them Session cookies Either credentials to make the request legal for the web application.
• As a result, the web -rally will act in a malicious request for the attacker, such as transfer of funds or changing account requisites without the victim’s consent.

(Note that this is not a harmful activity. All “blockers” that track traffic for malicious scenarios do not show any problems.)

Developers can use different tools to stop this, and one of them – CSRF tokens. They ensure that authentication users perform only the actions they intend, not the ones that require attackers.

Reflectiz recommended to store CSRF tokens in Httponly Cookies, which hinders the scripts of other manufacturers, such as Pixel Facebook, access them.

The problem of improper configuration

In an example of a thematic study (which you can find there) Pixel on Facebook sellers was accidentally incorrectly configured. The erroneous configuration allowed pixel to be inadvertently accessed to CSRF tokens – critical security elements that interfere with unauthorized actions on behalf of authentic users. These tokens were exposed, creating a serious safety vulnerability. This violation risked several security issues, including potential data leaks and unauthorized actions on behalf of users.

Like many online stores, your site will probably use Pixel Facebook to track visitors to optimize your Facebook advertising, but it should only be collecting and sharing information that requires this purpose, and it should only do it after receiving the right user permits. Because CSRF tokens should never share with any third parties, it’s impossible!

Here’s how the Reflectiz technology works to identify such vulnerabilities before they turn into serious safety risks.

Repair

A automated reflectiz security platform was used to monitor the web -public seller. During the routine scanning Reflectiz identified an anomaly with pixel on Facebook. It has been found to interact with the page incorrectly by accessing CSRF tokens and other sensitive data. Thanks to continuous monitoring and deep behavioral analysis, Reflectiz discovered this unauthorized data transfer for hours after the violation. It was like sharing the keys to their home or password on their bank account. They are actions that others can use in the future.

Reflectiz acted quickly, giving a detailed report of the retail seller. The report stated incorrect configuration and recommended immediate action, such as configuration changes to Pixel Facebook code to stop access to pixel from access to sensitive data.

Data protection Regulators take a dim look at your business, even if it accidentally obscures such limited information with unauthorized third parties, and fines can easily run into millions of dollars. That’s why from 10 to 11 minutes you will need Read a complete thematic study Maybe the best investments you do for the whole year.

The following steps

Reflectiz’s recommendations did not stop with immediate correction; They laid the basis for constant improvements in security and long -term protection. Here’s how you can protect your business from similar risks:

1. Regular security audit:
   • Continuous monitoring: implement the system Permanent monitoring Track all the scripts of other manufacturers and their behavior on your site. This will help you identify potential vulnerabilities and false configurations in real time, preventing the risk of safety before they grow.
   • Periodic Security Audit: Plan regular checks to ensure that all security measures are up to date. This includes a vulnerability check in your other integrations and ensuring the latest safety standards and best practices.
2. Management of the third party scenario:
   • Evaluate and control the scripts of other manufacturers: view all the scripts of other manufacturers on your site, such as tracking pixels and analytics tools. Limit access to these scenarios that need to be sensitive, and make sure they only receive the data needed for them.
   • Use trusted partners: only work with other suppliers that meet the strict safety and privacy standards. Make sure their security practices meet your business needs to prevent unauthorized data exchange.
3. Token CSRF:
   • Httponly Cookies: Follow the Reflectiz CSRF tokens in Httponly Cookies, which hinders their JavaScript (including third scripts). This is a key measure to protect the token from unauthorized access by third manufacturers.
   • Apply safe Cookie attributes: Make sure that all CSRF tokens are kept with safe and supreme = strict attributes to protect them from sending to cross -descent requests and soften the risk of impact through malicious scenarios.
4. Design Privacy:
   • Integration of Privacy into your Development process: As part of the development and deployment processes, accept A Privacy on the design approach. Make sure that privacy opinions are at the forefront, from how the data is stored before third scripts interact with your site.
   • User Consent Manage: PRODUCE DATA PROPOSITE PROPOSITIFY SURMENTS GUIRTS APPROVED WHICH CONTROL WHICH DATABERT. Always get a clear, informed consent before you share any sensitive data with third parties.
5. Teach your team:
   • Safety Learning: Make sure your development and security groups are well prepared in recent security protocols, especially data related and CSRF protection. Awareness and understanding of safety risks are the first steps to prevent such problems.
   • Cooperation Cooperation: Make sure that marketing and security teams will be aligned, especially when using third -party tools such as Pixel Facebook. Both teams must work together to make sure that the safety and privacy problems are considered when implementing such tools.
6. Accept zero approach:
   • The zero-three-year safety model: Consider taking a zero approach to safety. This model suggests that all users, both inside and outside the network, are not reliable and confirm every request before providing access. By applying this philosophy to the exchange of data between your site and third -party services, you can minimize risk impact.

By introducing these subsequent steps, you can actively strengthen your security post, save your sensitive data and prevent similar problems in the future. The Reflectiz Imagination provides a roadmap to create more elastic and safest web. Protecting your business from new threats is a constant effort, but with the right processes and tools you can ensure that your systems remain safe and compatible.

Download a complete thematic study here.