man CGI::Application::Plugin::Authentication::Store::Cookie (3): Cookie based Store

VERSION

This document describes CGI::Application::Plugin::Authentication version 0.20

SYNOPSIS

use base qw(CGI::Application);
use CGI::Application::Plugin::Session;
use CGI::Application::Plugin::Authentication;
__PACKAGE__->authen->config(
STORE => ['Cookie', SECRET => "Shhh, don't tell anyone", NAME => 'CAPAUTH_DATA', EXPIRY => '+1y'],
);

DESCRIPTION

This module uses a cookie to store authentication information across multiple requests. It works by creating a cookie that contains the information we would like to store (like the name of the user that is currently authenticated), and then base64 encoding the data. In order to ensure that the information is not manipulated by the end-user, we include a CRC checksum that is generated along with our secret. Since the user does not know the value of the secret, they will not be able to recreate the checksum if they change some of the values, so we will be able to tell if the information in the cookie has been manipulated.

THE SECRET

Choosing a good secret

An easy way to generate a relatively good secret is to run the following perl snippet:

  perl -MDigest::MD5=md5_base64 -l -e 'print md5_base64($$,time(),rand(9999))'

Just use the resulting string as your secret.

Configuring the secret

There are three ways that you can provide a secret to the module:

Hardcode the secret

You can hardcode a secret right in the CGI::Application::Plugin::Authentication::Store::Cookie module, so that you don't have to remember to provide one every time you use the module. Just open the source in a text editor and look at the top of the file where it defines 'our $SECRET' and follow the instruction listed there.

Provide the SECRET option when using the module

You can also just provide the secret as an option when using the module using the SECRET parameter.

  __PACKAGE__->authen->config(
        STORE => ['Cookie', SECRET => "Shhh, don't tell anyone"],
  );

Let the module choose a secret for you

And lastly, if you forget to do either of these, the module will use the name of your application as the secret, but that is not a very good value to use, so a warning will be spit out everytime it uses this. This is the least desirable choice, and is only included as a last resort.

DEPENDENCIES

This module requires the following modules to be available.

MIME::Base64
Digest::SHA
CGI::Cookie

METHODS

fetch

This method accepts a list of parameters and fetches them from the cookie data.

save

This method accepts a hash of parameters and values and stores them in the cookie data.

delete

This method accepts a list of parameters and deletes them from the cookie data.

initialize

This method will check for an existing cookie, and decode the contents for later retrieval.

cookie_name

This method will return the name of the cookie

AUTHOR

Cees Hek <[email protected]>

LICENCE AND COPYRIGHT

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE ``AS IS'' WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.