How to Secure Your React Application with CSRF Token in PHP Backend

Learn how to effectively implement `CSRF tokens` for your React application using a PHP backend to enhance security against CSRF attacks. --- This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/74405436/ asked by the user 'Dinesh Kuniyal' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16827940/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/74405557/ provided by the user 'isuckatcode' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13729794/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions. Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Sending CSRF token in react with php Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/licensing The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license. If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com. --- Securing Your React Application with CSRF Tokens in PHP Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks can pose a significant risk to web applications, particularly those that rely on form submissions and actions performed by authenticated users. In this guide, we will explore how to implement CSRF tokens in your React application with a PHP backend to secure your POST requests. Understanding CSRF Attacks Before diving into the solution, let's briefly explain what CSRF is and why it matters: What is CSRF? CSRF is a type of attack that tricks the user’s browser into executing unwanted actions in a web application in which the user is authenticated. Why is it important to prevent? By preventing CSRF attacks, you're protecting users from unauthorized actions that could potentially harm their accounts or data. Implementing CSRF Protection in Your Application To secure your React application against CSRF attacks when using a PHP backend, you can follow these steps: Step 1: Set a CSRF Cookie from the PHP Backend In your PHP backend, the first step is to create and set a CSRF token as a cookie. This can be accomplished using the setcookie() function in PHP. Here’s a basic example of how to do it: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Step 2: Allow Credentials in Your AJAX Request Next, when making POST requests (or any AJAX requests) to your PHP backend from your React app, ensure that credentials are included in the request. This allows the CSRF cookie to be sent along with the request headers. Here’s how you can do this with Axios: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Step 3: Read and Validate the CSRF Cookie in the Backend On the PHP side, you'll need to read the CSRF cookie from the request headers and validate it to ensure it matches the one set previously. You can access cookies through the $_COOKIE superglobal in PHP. Here’s an example of how to verify the CSRF token: [[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]] Conclusion Implementing CSRF protection in your React application with a PHP backend is crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of your users' data. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you will be able to effectively secure your POST requests against CSRF attacks. Key Takeaways Use the setcookie() function in PHP to create a CSRF token. Ensure your AJAX requests include credentials by using withCredentials: true in Axios. Validate the CSRF token against the cookie on the server-side to enhance security. By taking these steps, you can build a more secure application that protects your users from potential threats. Happy coding!