What Are SQL Injections & How Can They Be Prevented?

We’re in a digital age where technology is advancing rapidly, and each year, a new technological discovery is made to improve our lives. However, the rise of technology isn’t all the sunshine and rainbows it’s cracked up to be. It has also led to increased web hacking tools malicious actors and hackers use to intercept sensitive and confidential data. SQL Injections is a method used by malicious actors to attack data-driven applications. SQL injection uses malicious SQL codes to intercept your data and destroy databases. Attackers use SQL injection vulnerabilities to bypass the application’s security measures.

In this guide, we will explore what an SQL injection attack is, their common types, real-life examples, and how to prevent them. So, are you eager to learn more? Then, keep reading, and let’s begin.

How Do SQL Injection Attacks Work?

Here is how an SQL injection attack typically works. It involves inserting an SQL query through the input data from the client to the application. A successful attack enables the malicious actor to manipulate SQL queries that the application will make to the database. An SQL injection attack has the following steps:

1. Attackers will first identify the web application inputs vulnerable to SQL injection. These inputs can be anything from URLs to text fields in different forms.
2. Once the vulnerable input has been identified, the attackers will create an SQL statement to be inserted into the application’s query. This statement is crafted to modify the original SQL query to complete actions not intended by the app developers.
3. The attackers must bypass security measures like input validation and escaping specific characters. They implement this through techniques like string concatenation and SQL syntax to remove parts of the original query.
4. When the application implements the SQL query, it includes the attacker’s malicious input. The modified query can perform actions like unauthorized viewing of data, deleting the data, and even changing the database schema.
5. Depending on the type of attack, the outcome can be the extraction of sensitive data like user credentials, changing the existing data, adding new types of data, and deleting huge portions of the database.
6. Advanced SQL injections can exploit vulnerabilities in the database server, extending the attack from the database to the server. This also includes implementing commands on the operating system and accessing other parts of the server’s file.

What Are The Major Types Of SQL Injection Attacks?

It would help to be cautious of different types of SQL injection attacks. Some of the major types of these attacks include:

1) Error Based SQL Injection

This method only runs against MS-SQL servers. In this attack, the malicious actors cause an application to show an error. Usually, you will ask the database a question, and it will return an error message with the data they requested.

2) Union Based SQL Injection

Union-based SQL injection is the most popular type of SQL injection attack, and it makes use of the UNION statement. The UNION statement combines two select statements to capture data from the database.

3) Blind SQL Injection

In this type of attack, the database does not send error messages; the data is extracted by submitting queries to the database. Blind SQL injections are divided into boolean-based SQL injection and time-based SQL injection.

4) Boolean Based SQL Injection

The attacker sends an SQL query to the database and asks the application to return a different result, depending on whether the query returns True or False.

5) Time-Based SQL Injection

In this type of attack, the malicious actor sends an SQL query to the database, making the database wait for a specific amount of time before sharing the results. The response time allows the attacker to determine whether the query is True or False.

6) Out Of Bound SQL Injection

This type of attack isn’t that popular, as it mostly depends on features enabled in the database server used by the web applications. It is a misconfiguration error by the database administrator.

What Are Some Examples Of SQL Injection Attacks?

Here are some examples of SQL injections that happened recently, and some dating back a couple of years. In 2023, SQL injection attacks caused 23% of web application critical vulnerabilities globally, compared to 2022, where they were 23%. With that being said, let’s get real-life cases of SQL injection attacks:

1) The Sony Pictures Hack (2014)

A group of hackers and malicious actors referred to as the “Guardians of Peace” had managed to steal sensitive and confidential information about Sony Picture’s employees as well as their families, their internal communications, unreleased films, movie scripts, and plans for future films, and all of this happened because of an SQL injection. Although this case isn’t new and goes back a few years, they tell you about the dangers of an SQL injection.

2) Flaticon (2020)

A hacker launched an SQL injection and stole email and password hashes for 8.3 million Freepik and Flaticon users. The malicious actors behind the Freepik data breach were able to steal 8.3 million users’ data where they were available.

3) MOVEit Transfer (2023)

Just last year, Progress Software, the company behind the MOVEit transfer application, released patches to address new and emerging SQL injection vulnerabilities affecting the file transfer solution and would enable the theft of sensitive and confidential information.

4) Fortnite (2019)

Check Point researchers discovered multiple security vulnerabilities in Fortnite, which is a popular online game all across the globe. This vulnerability could have allowed remote attackers to take over player accounts by tricking users into clicking an unsusceptible link.

5) FlyCASS (2024)

Security researchers discovered a vulnerability in FlyCASS, a third-party web-based service that airlines use to manage the Known Crewmember (KCM) program and the Cockpit Access Security System (CASS). This vulnerability allows unauthorized parties to bypass airport security screenings and access aircraft cockpits.

FlyCASS’s login system was prone to SQL injection, enabling attackers to inject SQL statements for malicious database queries. By exploiting this security vulnerability, they could log in as an administrator for a participating airline and modify employee data within the system.

What Are The Impacts Of SQL Injection Attacks?

SQL injection attacks can have severe consequences for both businesses and individuals alike, with some of the significant impacts that they have to face include:

• Attackers can obtain sensitive and confidential credentials through SQLi, impersonate users, and exploit their data and information to gain access.
• Many SQLi attacks can steal confidential data, such as trade secrets, insider information, intellectual property, and company user and customer information.
• Suppose the company suffers from an SQLi attack. In that case, it can be challenging for companies to regain the trust of their customers and win their loyalty back, which causes reputational damage.
• Attackers can also access database servers with operating system privileges and use these permissions to gain access to other systems.

How To Prevent SQL Injections?

Here’s how to prevent a SQL injection attack. By following these steps, you can avoid the consequences that come with it:

1) Enforcing Prepared Statements & Parameterized Queries

Companies must write all the database queries using prepared statements and parameterized queries, known as variable binding. The database can differentiate between user input and code without SQLi risks by determining all the SQL code involved with queries and parameterization. Prepared statements are an essential defense against SQL injection vulnerabilities. Developers need to attempt and implement prepared statements whenever possible so that the database can treat malicious SQL statements as data and not as potential commands.

2) Enforcing Least Privilege Access

Least privilege is a principle that only gives users access to protected resources as their role requires and nothing beyond that. Restricting user access on a role-based level also helps reduce the impact of a breach, as the malicious actors who breach the database using stolen credentials will be limited in their ability to modify, steal, view, and destroy sensitive and protected data. For this reason, organizations need to limit shared access to databases across various websites and applications.

3) Maintain Applications & Databases

Security vulnerabilities in applications and databases that can be exploited using SQL injection are frequently discovered and publicly identified. Companies must stay updated with vulnerability news alongside vendor announcements to apply the patches and updates as soon as they become available. For SQL injection, all aspects of a web application need to be updated and monitored, including the database server software, plug-ins, frameworks, APIs, and libraries. A patch management solution is ideal for companies that find patching and updating programs challenging, as it can relieve some of the burden on the IT and application development teams.

4) Use Stored Procedures In The Database

Using stored databases can isolate the database from users and prevent some security exploitations. Instead of implementing code directly on the database, the app can activate stored procedures and return the results. Using stored procedures also needs variable binding. Stored procedures stay in the database and are called from the web application. Stored procedures aren’t directly immune to SQLi vulnerabilities if dynamic SQL generation is used.

5) Use A Firewall

Firewalls are your ideal defense against SQL injection attacks. As a website admin, you may be unable to resolve the code’s underlying issues. Still, you can invest in a secure firewall as it can help block attacks like SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and remote code execution using specialized rules.

How To Protect Yourself From SQL Injections In The Future?

Here are some additional steps that you can take to protect yourself from SQL injections and other cyber attacks in the future:

1) Use AstrillVPN

AstrillVPN encrypts your traffic and hides your IP address, ensuring that your sensitive and confidential data remains safe, secure, and free from interception by prying eyes. You can safely browse the internet without your online identity getting compromised. You can also safely use public networks as your data gets routed towards a secure and encrypted VPN tunnel. It offers AES 256 encryption and robust protocols like StealthVPN, Wireguard, and OpenVPN. It also adheres to a strict No Logs Policy. Rest assured, your data is in safe hands.

2) Use A Reliable Password Manager

By using a reliable Password Manager, you will be instantly notified if the websites you’re using have been compromised. In case your website gets breached, you can easily change your password to a unique one that will be hard to crack by malicious actors. When choosing a password, ensure it has an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, special characters, and numbers.

3) Use Antivirus Software

Using reliable antivirus software enables you to detect and remove emerging threats before they cause significant damage. It will detect threats in real-time and remove them from your device. It will offer additional security features like email protection, firewalls, and anti phishing tools. It is compatible with multiple operating systems like iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, and macOS and does not severely impact the system’s resources, which will affect your computer system’s performance.

4) Don’t Share Personal Data On Sketchy Websites

If you stumble upon a website and think it is a bit sketchy, the ideal thing is to only enter sensitive data with strong security measures like HTTPS encryption. Although this isn’t a foolproof method that will help prevent SQL injections, it’s certainly an excellent place to start.

Wrapping Up

SQL injections are a serious threat that can compromise sensitive and confidential data and harm businesses and individuals. By utilizing some of the strategies mentioned in this guide and implementing additional security tips to protect your data in the future, SQL injections will be the last thing that you have to worry about.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)