What is SQL Injection
SQL Injection is the collection of malicious SQL statements
that attacks on the security of web applications and software. Attackers access
the database and get entire content of database by spoofing the authorization
and authentication of web page or web application. They can add, delete and
modify the records to database which may cause failure of application or denial
of service attack.
How SQL Injection Attack Performed?
To perform SQL Injection attack, attackers need to first find
the user inputs into the web application. After finding the inputs, attacker
can create input content and send this content to perform the malicious SQL
commands on the database. Mostly Relational Database Management System use SQL
as query language to perform all database operations so after successful attack
on the database, web applications stuck into serious consequences.
Type of SQL Injection Attacks
There are wide variety of SQL vulnerability, techniques and
attacks that attacks perform in different situations. Some of most common SQL
injection attacks are as follows:
- Hidden Data Attack: In this type of attack, attacker modify the SQL statements to get the
additional database from database.
- Application Logic Attack: Attacker modify the logic of SQL command to interfere in the
application’s logic.
- Examining Database Attack: In this attack, attacker can get the information about the
version and structure of database.
- UNION Attack: After
performing this attack, attacker can get the information from different tables
of the database.
- Blind SQL Injection Attack: As its name defined, Impact of this type of attack is not displayed in the response of the application.
Impact of SQL Injection Attack
Attacker
can implement the SQL Injection attack to get the credentials of administrator
as well as other users of the database. So attackers can act as the
impersonated database users with all privileges and can perform any operation
on database.
- SQL
vulnerability allows the attacker to get the complete access of the Database
server and perform the SQL statements to select and output the database data.
- SQL
ALTER command is used to alter the information in database. With SQL alter
command vulnerability, attacker can get the account number and password of
financial institutions users and perform blank transactions, money transfer
from one account to other account and void transactions as well.
- In
SQL Injection attack, attackers can delete the tables of the database by
modifying the SQL Drop command. Deletion of database or tables can create
serious problems for the running applications even if database administrator is
taking regular backups of the database, as it will take time to restore the
backup.
- Attackers
can access the operating system of Database servers and then access the
internal network of the organisations.
