How To Delete Cookie With Httponly Using Php Or Js

Cookies are an essential part of web development, enabling websites to store information such as user preferences and login details. However, there are times when you need to delete a cookie securely, especially when dealing with sensitive data. In this article, we will guide you on how to delete a cookie with httponly flag using PHP or JavaScript.

For those unfamiliar, httponly cookies are more secure because they cannot be accessed via JavaScript, reducing the risk of cross-site scripting attacks. When you set a cookie with the httponly flag, it can only be sent and modified by the server, not by client-side scripts.

Deleting a Cookie with HttpOnly Using PHP:

In PHP, deleting a cookie with the httponly flag is relatively straightforward. You can achieve this by setting the cookie's expiration time to a past value. This essentially tells the browser to remove the cookie.

unset($_COOKIE['cookie_name']);
setcookie('cookie_name', '', time() - 3600, '/', '', true, true);

In the code snippet above, 'cookie_name' is the name of the cookie you want to delete. By setting the expiration time to a past value (time() - 3600), you ensure that the cookie is immediately deleted. The true parameter at the end sets the httponly flag to true, making it more secure.

Deleting a Cookie with HttpOnly Using JavaScript:

Deleting a cookie with the httponly flag using JavaScript can be a bit more challenging since cookies with httponly are not accessible via client-side scripts. However, you can still delete cookies without the httponly flag using JavaScript.

document.cookie = "cookie_name=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC; path=/; secure; httponly";

In the JavaScript code above, 'cookie_name' is the name of the cookie you want to delete. By setting the expiration date to the past (Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC), you instruct the browser to remove the cookie. Bear in mind that cookies with httponly flag cannot be directly accessed or deleted by JavaScript for security purposes.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, deleting cookies with httponly flag adds an extra layer of security to your web applications by preventing client-side scripts from accessing sensitive information. While you can easily delete cookies without the httponly flag in JavaScript, deleting httponly cookies must be handled on the server-side using PHP. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can effectively delete cookies with httponly using PHP or JavaScript and enhance the security of your web applications.