One of the main threats that can be found on the Internet is SQL injection attacks, which are based on existing web vulnerabilities.
We often think cyber-attacks occur directly on our accounts when they send us a malicious email or manage to steal data that we provide, but the reality is that the Internet is full of risks.
WHAT ARE SQL INJECTION ATTACKS?
Cybercriminals using SQL injection attacks take advantage of any existing vulnerability on a web page to inject malicious code.
This code is entered into SQL (Structure Query Language) databases, a specific language used in programming, to compromise the security and privacy of website users.
SQL injection attacks manage to delete or edit databases to steal sensitive information from users, such as credit card numbers, passwords, or private data.
But these cyberattacks can only be carried out when there are vulnerabilities on the web. The process that ensures information security has a minor flaw that allows cybercriminals to inject malicious code.
TYPES OF SQL INJECTION ATTACKS:
Five types of SQL injection attacks can be differentiated according to the way they are carried out:
UNION SQL INJECTION ATTACKS
This attack occurs when a web page displays more results than it should, including the threat.
ERROR SQL INJECTION ATTACKS
It is a technique that allows cybercriminals to take advantage of the error messages returned by the server to extract information about the structure of the database. Once they access the database, they can steal sensitive data and attack users.
BLIND TIME SQL INJECTION ATTACKS
Here, as the name suggests, time is the key. This type of attack involves sending metered SQL requests to the database to evaluate the result of the request.
A hacker uses a predefined time-based function of the database management system that is used by the application. Depending on the waiting time for the system’s response, the cybercriminal will assess whether the message has arrived correctly.
BOOLEAN SQL INJECTION ATTACKS
In the Boolean type of attack, the cybercriminal sends one SQL request at a time to enumerate the database. Based on the response they get, it will assess whether your payload has been sent successfully and whether the application is vulnerable to a SQL injection attack.
OUT-OF-BAND SQL INJECTION ATTACKS
All the above SQL injection attacks are made in-band, but if the hacker can’t get the results through that channel, they’ll do it out of the band. This means that the information reaches the cybercriminal directly through DNS and HTTP requests.
Create users with proper permissions
It would help if you never connected to the SQL Server with a generic user who is a bank owner or server administrator. This item is the second most important for preventing SQL Injection attacks.
Never return messages from SQL server to user.
Do not return database error messages directly to the user. As we saw earlier, these messages can reveal important information about your server.
Remove objects that will not be used.
Many extended stored procedures can be removed without impacting the SQL Server. If you don’t feel safe about removing a particular expended stored procedure, make sure that no user can use it.
Remove the example databases: PUBS and NORTHWIND.
Enable security logs on the server
Enable security logs on the server as you see fit and ensure they are periodically checked. You can, for example, enable logging of login attempts that were rejected by the SQL server.
Ending the talk about SQL Injection
In this article, we saw that SQL Injection is an attack class where the attacker can manipulate queries created by the application.
We have also seen through practical examples that the two main factors that contribute to this type of attack are the lack of validation of the data entered by the user and the use of a user with high privileges by the application.
With this data, it is much easier to understand the potential of SQL Injection attacks and, as a preventive measure, work so that your application is not subject to this type of vulnerability.
As we explained at the beginning of the article, SQL injection attacks are based on web vulnerabilities to compromise its security. These vulnerabilities often appear when operating systems or applications are not up to date.
Keeping the equipment updated will prevent vulnerabilities from arising, and we will avoid suffering one of these attacks.
On the other hand, it is essential to use strong passwords and update them regularly. This will make it difficult for cybercriminals to discover it or access our accounts, as they may have found an old password that is no longer valid.
Finally, it is essential to have a good protection or antivirus system to detect threats and block them. A business antivirus can identify threats and stop them before they can be carried out.
