Understanding WordPress authentication cookies

Other Questions Wordpress
1

I’ve just set up the newest WordPress version and I’m curious about how it handles user authentication. After logging in, I noticed WordPress creates three cookies. I’m trying to figure out how these cookies work to verify users.

I compared the hash values in the cookies with the data in the wp_users table, but they don’t match up. This got me thinking about my own method for user authentication:

function createUserCookie($username) {
    $userHash = sha1($username);
    setcookie('user_auth', $userHash, time() + 3600, '/');
}

I usually create a hash of the username during registration and store it in the database. Then, when a user logs in, I set a cookie with this hash to track them across pages.

Is WordPress doing something different? How does it use these cookies to keep users logged in? I’d love to understand this better to improve my own projects. Any insights would be really helpful!

2

I’ve been working with WordPress for years, and I can tell you their authentication system is pretty robust. Your method is a good start, but WordPress takes it several steps further.

From what I’ve seen, WordPress uses a combination of your username, a portion of your hashed password, and an expiration time in their cookies. This makes it incredibly difficult for anyone to forge a valid cookie, even if they somehow got their hands on the database.

One thing I’ve learned the hard way is never to store full hashes in the database. Instead, consider using a secret key and maybe even incorporating an expiration time into your hash. It’s also worth looking into PHP’s built-in password hashing functions – they’re designed specifically for this kind of thing and are much more secure than a simple SHA1.

If you’re building something serious, you might want to consider using a well-established authentication library. They’ve usually ironed out all the security kinks that we might overlook. Trust me, it saves a lot of headaches down the line!

3

WordPress’s approach to authentication cookies is quite sophisticated compared to your method. Instead of just hashing the username, WordPress incorporates multiple elements for enhanced security.

The cookies WordPress sets contain hashed combinations of your username, a portion of your hashed password, and an expiration time. This makes it much harder for potential attackers to forge valid cookies, even if they somehow access the database.

Your current method, while functional, could be improved. Consider adding more elements to your hash, like a secret key and expiration time. Also, storing the full hash in the database isn’t ideal from a security standpoint.

I’d recommend looking into more robust authentication libraries or frameworks if you’re building something for production use. They often implement best practices and handle edge cases you might not have considered.

4

wordpress uses a more complex system than just hashing usernames. it combines your username, part of your hashed password, and an expiration time in the cookies. this makes it way harder for hackers to fake cookies, even if they somehow got into the database. your method works but could be better. try adding more stuff to your hash, like a secret key and expiration time. also, don’t store the whole hash in the database