Secure sessions with Node.js, Express.js, and NginX as an SSL Proxy

A: Secure Sessions Howto

Secure sessions are easy, but not very well documented.  
Here's a recipe for secure sessions in Node.js when NginX is used as an SSL proxy:

The desired configuration for using NginX as an SSL proxy is to offload SSL processing 
and to put a hardened web server in front of your Node.js application, like:

[NODE.JS APP] <- HTTP -> [NginX] <- HTTPS -> [PUBLIC INTERNET] <-> [CLIENT]

Edit for express 4.X and >:  Express no longer uses Connect as its middleware framework, it implements its own now. 

To do this, here's what you need to do:

B: app.js

// 1. In your main App, setup up sessions:

app.enable('trust proxy');
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.session({
   secret: 'Super Secret Password',
   proxy: true,
   key: 'session.sid',
   cookie: {secure: true},
//NEVER use in-memory store for production - I'm using mongoose/mongodb here
   store: new sessionStore() 
}));

C: nginx-ssl.conf

# 2. Configure nginx to do SSL and forward all the required headers that COnnect needs to do secure sessions:

server {
    listen       443;
    server_name  localhost;
    ssl                  on;
    ssl_certificate      /etc/nginx/nodeapp.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key  /etc/nginx/nodeapp.key;
    ssl_session_timeout  5m;
    ssl_protocols  SSLv2 SSLv3 TLSv1;
    ssl_ciphers HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5;
    ssl_prefer_server_ciphers   on;

    location / {
# THESE ARE IMPORTANT
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
# This is what tells Connect that your session can be considered secure, 
# even though the protocol node.js sees is only HTTP:        
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme; 
        proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
        proxy_set_header X-NginX-Proxy true;
        proxy_read_timeout 5m;
        proxy_connect_timeout 5m;
        proxy_pass http://nodeserver;
        proxy_redirect off;
    }
}

This gist was written 7 years ago, and this solution is STILL not well-documented, nor is it easy to find. I went as far as reading two books on Nginx, thinking I was simply misunderstanding how the damn thing worked, both of which still did not provide me with the right information. I even went to the extent of setting up my app directly with HTTPS, which defeated much of the benefit in using Nginx as a reverse proxy. After implementing this solution, I was able to set my app back to HTTP.

All of that to say THANK YOU. Thank you a million times over.

Wooow! Two days looking for this configuration. Thank you very much!

you are simply the best!

It 's indeed not well documentated. In my first Nginx-set up I had no idea. For me the 'app.enable('trust proxy');' was the life-changer. Thank you for sharing!

Hello, I came from 2022 to thank you and say that if you happen to spend a weekend in Brazil, in the region of São Paulo, send me an email and I will take you to the best steakhouse in the region as a thank you

Many thanks

Awesome, you're my hero I'll fight for you.

thank you very much! you save my project deadline!

Thank you, my good sir! Another deadline saved. May I too have as much good karma as you do.

Thank you boss !!! 🙌✨