Python: Split Insecure Cookie query into multiple queries

[joefarebrother]

Splits the py/insecure-cookie query into py/insecure-cookie, py/client-exposed-cookie, and py/samesite-none-cookie.
This is closer to how these queries are handled in JS with js/clear-text-cookie, js/client-exposed-cookie, and js/samesite-none-cookie queries.

[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR splits the existing py/insecure-cookie query into three separate, more focused queries to better align with JavaScript's cookie security query structure. The original query checked for multiple cookie security attributes in a single query, while the new approach separates concerns into distinct queries.

• Refactors py/insecure-cookie to only check for missing Secure attribute
• Creates new py/client-exposed-cookie query for missing HttpOnly attribute
• Creates new py/samesite-none-cookie query for SameSite=None attribute issues

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 19 out of 19 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
python/ql/src/Security/CWE-614/InsecureCookie.ql	Simplified to only check for missing Secure attribute
python/ql/src/Security/CWE-1004/NonHttpOnlyCookie.ql	New query for missing HttpOnly attribute
python/ql/src/Security/CWE-1275/SameSiteNoneCookie.ql	New query for SameSite=None issues
python/ql/test/query-tests/Security/CWE-614-InsecureCookie/test.py	Updated test with inline expectations for new query behavior
python/ql/src/change-notes/2025-09-19-insecure-cookie.md	Documents the query split changes

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (2)

[github-actions]

QHelp previews:

python/ql/src/Security/CWE-1004/NonHttpOnlyCookie.qhelp

Sensitive cookie missing HttpOnly attribute.

Cookies without the HttpOnly flag set are accessible to JavaScript running in the same origin. In case of a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, the cookie can be stolen by a malicious script. If a sensitive cookie does not need to be accessed directly by client-side JS, the HttpOnly flag should be set.

Recommendation

Set httponly to True, or add ; HttpOnly; to the cookie's raw header value, to ensure that the cookie is not accessible via JavaScript.

Example

In the following examples, the cases marked GOOD show secure cookie attributes being set; whereas in the case marked BAD they are not set.

from flask import Flask, request, make_response, Response


@app.route("/good1")
def good1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", secure=True, httponly=True, samesite='Strict') # GOOD: Attributes are securely set
    return resp


@app.route("/good2")
def good2():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.headers['Set-Cookie'] = "sessionid=value; Secure; HttpOnly; SameSite=Strict" # GOOD: Attributes are securely set 
    return resp

@app.route("/bad1")
def bad1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", samesite='None') # BAD: the SameSite attribute is set to 'None' and the 'Secure' and 'HttpOnly' attributes are set to False by default.
    return resp

References

• PortSwigger: Cookie without HttpOnly flag set
• MDN: Set-Cookie.
• Common Weakness Enumeration: CWE-1004.

python/ql/src/Security/CWE-1275/SameSiteNoneCookie.qhelp

Sensitive cookie with SameSite attribute set to None.

Cookies with the SameSite attribute set to 'None' will be sent with cross-origin requests. This can sometimes allow for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, in which a third-party site could perform actions on behalf of a user, if the cookie is used for authentication.

Recommendation

Set the samesite to Lax or Strict, or add ; SameSite=Lax;, or ; SameSite=Strict; to the cookie's raw header value. The default value in most cases is Lax.

Example

In the following examples, the cases marked GOOD show secure cookie attributes being set; whereas in the case marked BAD they are not set.

from flask import Flask, request, make_response, Response


@app.route("/good1")
def good1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", secure=True, httponly=True, samesite='Strict') # GOOD: Attributes are securely set
    return resp


@app.route("/good2")
def good2():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.headers['Set-Cookie'] = "sessionid=value; Secure; HttpOnly; SameSite=Strict" # GOOD: Attributes are securely set 
    return resp

@app.route("/bad1")
def bad1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", samesite='None') # BAD: the SameSite attribute is set to 'None' and the 'Secure' and 'HttpOnly' attributes are set to False by default.
    return resp

References

• MDN: Set-Cookie.
• OWASP: SameSite.
• Common Weakness Enumeration: CWE-1275.

python/ql/src/Security/CWE-614/InsecureCookie.qhelp

Failure to use secure cookies

Cookies without the Secure flag set may be transmitted using HTTP instead of HTTPS. This leaves them vulnerable to being read by a third party attacker. If a sensitive cookie such as a session key is intercepted this way, it would allow the attacker to perform actions on a user's behalf.

Recommendation

Always set secure to True, or add ; Secure; to the cookie's raw header value, to ensure SSL is used to transmit the cookie with encryption.

Example

In the following examples, the cases marked GOOD show secure cookie attributes being set; whereas in the case marked BAD they are not set.

from flask import Flask, request, make_response, Response


@app.route("/good1")
def good1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", secure=True, httponly=True, samesite='Strict') # GOOD: Attributes are securely set
    return resp


@app.route("/good2")
def good2():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.headers['Set-Cookie'] = "sessionid=value; Secure; HttpOnly; SameSite=Strict" # GOOD: Attributes are securely set 
    return resp

@app.route("/bad1")
def bad1():
    resp = make_response()
    resp.set_cookie("sessionid", value="value", samesite='None') # BAD: the SameSite attribute is set to 'None' and the 'Secure' and 'HttpOnly' attributes are set to False by default.
    return resp

References

• Detectify: Cookie lack Secure flag.
• PortSwigger: TLS cookie without secure flag set.
• MDN: Set-Cookie.
• Common Weakness Enumeration: CWE-614.