Which application scanner component is useful in identifying vulnerabilities such as cookie misconfigurations?

The correct answer identifies the passive scanner as the component useful for identifying vulnerabilities like cookie misconfigurations. Passive scanners operate by monitoring network traffic and logs without actively probing or interacting with the application. They analyze data that is already flowing through the system to discover vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in configurations, such as improperly set cookies.

When it comes to cookie misconfigurations, passive scanners can detect issues like missing Secure or HttpOnly flags or improper domain/path attributes in the cookies sent to and from the client. These scanners examine how data is transmitted and can detect problematic configurations by reviewing the security headers and cookie attributes without interfering with the application's regular operations.

In contrast, other scanner types serve different purposes. A spider primarily focuses on crawling through a web application to gather information and map out its structure, but it does not typically evaluate the security configurations of cookies. Virus scanners are designed to detect malware and viruses within files or applications, rather than focusing on configuration weaknesses. Active scanners engage with the application by sending crafted requests to probe for known vulnerabilities, which can be useful for finding issues but may not specifically address cookie configurations or require a detailed examination of traffic. Therefore, passive scanners are more suited to identifying these kinds of vulnerabilities.