Cookies set to "Never" but Safari now accepts all cookies anyway

For what it's worth, I can attest Security Update 2011-006 appears to have resolved the cookie/cache/database problem.

Silkroad wrote:

Sorry, but not true.

I've tested it four times since Safari update yesterday. No Cookies change -- I got a handful of new cookies, even though "block always" was checked.

That's weird.

I don't want to go off topic here, but I need to mention I was having problems with Safari that were unrelated to the cookie-deal. Safari 5.1 is incompatible with the Adobe Reader plugin. I can't work without filling out smart forms, so 5.1 isn't an option for me because it does not support the Adobe Reader plugin.

5.1 didn't work with the extensions I need, either. 5.1 completely unusable for me. So I downgraded to 5.0.5 a few weeks ago, and when I updated my computer this morning, I only applied the 2011-006 Security Update. I did not update Safari. I am using Safari 5.0.5, and I don't intend to update Safari until it is (at least) compatible with the Adobe Reader plugin.

So for me, the cookie problem was resolved with the 2011-006 Security Update for Snow Leopard. According to the documentation:

A synchronization issue existed in CFNetwork's handling of cookie policies. Safari's cookie preferences may not be honored, allowing websites to set cookies that would be blocked were the preference enforced. This update addresses the issue through improved handling of cookie storage.

I applied the 2011-006 Security Update, and that appears to have fixed the problems I was having with Safari 5.0.5. I cannot attest to the stability of 5.1 because I am not using 5.1, and I have no plans to update to 5.1 until the compatability issues with Adobe are resolved (if ever).

And on another unrelated note: I am now having big problems with this website. I can read updated threads when I do not have cookies enabled, but when I enable cookies, things go haywire. (I don't think it is related to the Safari cookie issue because it happens regardless of the browser I use.)

Even so, I had to jump through a few hoops to make this reply to your post, Silkroad, and I have no idea if it will go through or not.

I sincerely hope you get your issues resolved ASAP, but please forgive me if I do not respond or reply to any further comments.

I can also attest the 2011-006 update fixes the cookie issue for Safari 5.0.5 running 10.6.8. Problem solved. FINALLY. I also notice Apple has moved the iTunes store cookies to a new file, so clearing the cookies from the browser will not affect iTunes login.

I concur with Silkroad. Under 10.7.2 and Safari 5.1.1 the problem persists.

If you're seeing that with the Security Update 2011-006

installed, not just Safari 5.1.1, then do file a bug report.

I am using:

- OS Lion 10.7.2

- Safari 5.1.1

- Safari Security Update 2011-006

- Third-Party-Cookies are being blocked.

I just noticed that I have again a lot of "small icons with website-names" in the window "Details about the cookies". BUT, beneath the icons it says just "Cache". The word "Cookies" appears only beneath the icons of the website I am surving on.

I wonder why thirdparties are allowed open up a chache-icon? Is the chache empty? Does someone know this?

Just wanted to weigh in on this as I had, or who knows, might still have issues with cookies, cache, and, local storage.

In the older version of Safari, preferences read something to the effect, "Allow Cookies" and the option "Never" was used to block all cookies.

Well... the tech had me download something so he could noodle around on my desk top and he would say click this and that. Incidently I saw settings change, cookies and cache rushed in and settings retuned to "Never". One of the things he had me do was to copy Safari onto itself and reboot. While checking preferences I again clicked "Never" for Cookies. I told him cookies were coming through like crazy. Then he asked me what I had selected for options and I said "Never". He then said, well you are allowing cookies to pass through. I looked at the options and the wording had changed to "Block Cookies" with the same options.

So... something had changed and I thought maybe I was totally confused. After reading a number of posts it is clear that I wasn't imagining anything. What irritates me though is that the support tech left me feeling stupid. I know now that the wording has changed in preferences and you can draw your own conclusions from my experience but why all the screwing around.

BTW I was speaking to Apple first and second level techs.

I proved my theory when I erased my drive and reloaded OSx. The options in preferences were the old way as in, "Never" means "never allow cookies". Sure wish I could spell shinanigins. Could really use that word right now...

Not sure what the answer is. Sounds like Apple has bigger fish to fry and it would seem cookies are not a priority. BTW I only block third party cookies, (which doesn't work very well either), and I get at least twenty cookies per Yahoo news story. Almost seems like a losing battle for engineering. Not that the cookie bakers are smarter, rather Apple simply doesn't have the resources to fend off the assualt. But that's just my opinion which so far is worth about... click click, zip...$2600 bucks.

I'll hang in there with my MacBook Pro for a while... absolutely no new purchases, and see how responsive they are with issues concerning Lion and ICloud.

Any change with Safari 5.1.2 with 10.6.8? I'm currently using 10.6.8 with Safari 5.0.5, which I did by installing the 10.6.8 combo. There are stability issues with Safari 5.0.5 at this point (if you type a site that doesn't exist, it will crash rather than spit out a 404 page). So, I would like to upgrade, but not if the cookie problem hasn't been fixed. As an aside, did they fix this in Lion, or is there no difference?

I suspect that the cookies reappeared after they had been supposed to be deleted because I found the same cookie showed up everytime I launch a new webpage or launch safari. I wish I can just go into the cookie database and delete them.

Does anyone know where Safari cookie database is located? The cookie location in Lion is no longer the same as in Snow Leopard.

I can't find them in ~/Library/"Application Support"/"Safari Cookies" it is empty there.

I don't know what ~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies contain, I deleted it, but it doesn't affect Safari cookies at all.

There is no cookie files under ~/Library/Safari/ either. The Databases under that folder is empty also, since I set Database storage to "none" in Safari Preferences.