Re: Concurrent Sessions and User Feedback

From: Chris Saulnier (chris.saulnierat_private)
Date: Sun Apr 06 2003 - 15:18:59 PDT

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    I'm new here, and also inexperienced, so I'm not sure how good these ideas
    would be in practice. If this is for a application where only certain people
    will have accounts, not a public app where anyone can sign up, then you
    could do the following:
    
    If it's a successful login, but the account is locked-out, currently logged
    in or if the username and password don't exist, give an error saying please
    check your company email, a message has been delivered to you. In which it
    will detail the problem with their account, if the account actually existed.
    If it is a public application then you could just give an un-helpful message
    like there was an error logging in, please contact the admin if you believe
    this login should of worked.
    
    Chris Saulnier
    http://paladindesign.net
    
    
    
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Susan Olson" <olson.susanat_private>
    To: <pen-testat_private>
    Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 4:33 PM
    Subject: Concurrent Sessions and User Feedback
    
    
    >
    > I'm looking for words of wisdom/advice/ideas on how to handle this from a
    security/"best practices" perspective.
    >
    > Basically, I am evaluating a web application that disallows concurrent
    sessions; it only allows for one unique logon session to occur at the same
    time using just one username/password combination.
    >
    > My question.what is the best way to handle "feedback" for users attempting
    to access an account that is already logged-on?  Currently, users get a
    message stating that the account that they are attempting to use is already
    logged-on.  I am not comfortable with this because it lends to the possible
    harvesting of valid UserIDs & Passwords by an "evil doer."  Also, I have a
    similar issue with the "feedback" given to users when an account is locked
    out."Your account is currently locked out, please contact an administrator"
    in that I only get this message when I have entered a valid User ID &
    Password for an account that is locked out - seems to facilitate harvesting
    as well.
    >
    > If anyone could provide me with some ideas/strategies, etc. on how to
    implement this securely I would greatly appreciate it!
    >
    > - Sue
    >
    >
    >
    >
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