What is SQL Injection

SQL Injection is one of the many web attack mechanisms used by hackers to steal data from organizations. It is perhaps one of the most common application layer attack techniques used today. It is the type of attack that takes advantage of improper coding of your web applications that allows hacker to inject SQL commands into say a login form to allow them to gain access to the data held within your database.

Web applications allow legitimate website visitors to submit and retrieve data to/from a database over the Internet using their preferred web browser. Databases are central to modern websites – they store data needed for websites to deliver specific content to visitors and render information to customers, suppliers, employees and a host of stakeholders. User credentials, financial and payment information, company statistics may all be resident within a database and accessed by legitimate users through off the shelf and custom web applications. Web applications and databases allow you to regularly run your business.

SQL Injection is the hacking technique which attempts to pass SQL commands (statements) through a web application for execution by the backend database. If not sanitized properly, web applications may result in SQL Injection attacks that allow hackers to view information from the database and/or even wipe it out.

Such features as login pages, support and product request forms, feedback forms, search pages, shopping carts and the general delivery of dynamic content, shape modern websites and provide businesses with the means necessary to communicate with prospects and customers. These website features are all examples of web applications which may be either purchased off the shelf or developed as bespoke programs.

SQL Injection is a type of web application security vulnerability in which an attacker is able to submit a database SQL command which is executed by a web application, exposing the back-end database. A SQL Injection attack can occur when a web application utilizes user-supplied data without proper validation or encoding as part of a command or query. The specially crafted user data tricks the application into executing unintended commands or changing data. SQL Injection allows an attacker to create, read, update, alter or delete data stored in the back-end database. In its most common form, a SQL Injection attack gives access to sensitive information such as social security numbers, credit card number or other financial data. According to Vera code’s State of Software Security Report SQL Injection is one of the most prevalent types of web application security vulnerability.

SQL injection is a software vulnerability that occurs when data entered by users is sent to the SQL interpreter as a part of an SQL query

Attackers provide specially crafted input data to the SQL interpreter and trick the interpreter to execute unintended commands

Attackers utilize this vulnerability by providing specially crafted input data to the SQL interpreter in such a manner that the interpreter is not able to distinguish between the intended commands and the attacker’s specially crafted data. The interpreter is tricked into executing unintended commands.

A SQL Injection attack exploits security vulnerabilities at the database layer. By exploiting the SQL injection flaw, attackers can create, read, modify, or delete sensitive data