When the Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanism notices that the CSRF token supplied in a request does not match the expected token stored on the server, it results in the “Invalid CSRF protection token” error in WHMCS. As part of our Server Management Service, Bobcares provides answers to all of your questions.

“Invalid CSRF protection token” error in WHMCS

A security feature called CSRF protection guards against CSRF attacks and stops unauthorised actions. When a request’s CSRF token differs from the expected token that is kept on the server, the CSRF mechanism flags the request with the error “Invalid CSRF protection token” in WHMCS.

We can use the following procedures to fix this issue:

1. Firstly, conflicts may arise from old or cached CSRF tokens in the browser. So, try again after clearing the cookies and cache in the browser.

2. Then, verify the accuracy of the system time on the server hosting WHMCS. If there is a difference in system time, CSRF tokens may become invalid.

3. Check that there are no unusual parameters included in the URLs or links we use to access WHMCS. Since the validation of the token may be hampered by other factors in the URL.

4. In order to see if any third-party plugins or WHMCS customisations are the cause of the problem, temporarily disable them.

5. Verify the CSRF protection feature’s activation and setup in WHMCS’s security settings. In the WHMCS admin area, these configuration options are located under “Setup” > “General Settings” > “Security.”

6. Verify that the directory that WHMCS specifies for temporary file uploads has the appropriate permissions. This directory is often described as “upload_tmp_dir” in the PHP configuration.

7. Token issues can potentially arise from session handling issues. So, check for possible problems in the PHP settings and any custom session handling code.

8. The CSRF token validation may be blocked if the server or hosting environment has ModSecurity or a WAF activated. Lastly, see whether the settings or logs are the source of the problem.

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Conclusion

To conclude, we provide 8 troubleshooting tips for the error, Invalid CSRF protection token” in WHMCS.