Insecure tracking cookies (Secure or SameSite issues)

Why this matters

Tracking cookies without appropriate security attributes increase the chance of unintended exposure or inconsistent browser handling. Even if consent is fixed, weak cookie flags remain a separate implementation issue.

How to verify manually

1. Inspect cookies in browser storage tools after analytics or marketing tags load.
2. Check whether tracking cookies include Secure, HttpOnly where applicable, and an appropriate SameSite value.
3. Verify cookie behavior over HTTPS and behind production reverse proxies, not just locally.

Typical root causes

• Framework defaults are overridden or outdated.
• Proxy or CDN terminates HTTPS but origin app still thinks the request is insecure.
• Third-party tools set cookies with legacy defaults you have not reviewed.

GTM fix

1. Review whether custom GTM scripts set their own cookies without explicit attributes.
2. Avoid custom tracking logic that writes cookies client-side unless necessary.
3. Prefer vendor integrations that support secure defaults and consent-aware behavior.

WordPress fix

1. Audit SEO, analytics, and marketing plugins that create client-side cookies.
2. Update plugins and review cookie settings exposed in their dashboards.
3. Verify reverse proxy or HTTPS detection settings in WordPress and hosting config.

Generic fix

1. Set Secure on cookies delivered over HTTPS.
2. Choose SameSite=Lax or SameSite=None; Secure based on the actual cross-site use case.
3. Test behavior in the real production environment, not only local development.

How to confirm the fix worked

• Inspect cookies again after deployment and confirm attributes changed as expected.
• Test in Chrome and another major browser to catch cross-browser differences.
• Run a fresh scan and verify the insecure-cookie finding clears.