SQL Injection in detail

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.