OEW

Understanding the Impact

Injection attacks can result in data loss, corruption, or disclosure to unauthorized parties, loss of accountability, or denial of access. Injection flaws can compromise the entire backend database of an application, leading to significant security breaches.

Common Vulnerabilities

• SQL Injection

  SQL injection exploits vulnerabilities in data-driven applications by injecting malicious SQL statements into an entry field for execution.

• NoSQL Injection

  NoSQL injection attacks target systems using NoSQL databases, allowing attackers to inject code into the query to manipulate or steal data.

• OS Command Injection

  This type of attack occurs when an attacker manages to execute arbitrary commands on the host operating system through a vulnerable application.

Preventive Measures

• Use of Prepared Statements (Parameterized Queries)

  Prepared statements ensure that an attacker is unable to change the intent of a query, even if SQL commands are inserted by an attacker.

• Use of Stored Procedures

  Stored procedures can encapsulate the SQL logic on the database side and prevent it from exposure to injection attacks.

• Input Validation

  Validating user input for syntax and type can prevent malicious data from being processed by the application.

Best Practices

• Escaping All User Supplied Input

  Escaping user input can prevent the interpreter from treating input as part of a command or query.

• Implementing Least Privilege

  Limiting the privileges of the application accounts to the bare minimum can reduce the severity of the impact of an injection flaw.

• Regularly Updating and Patching

  Keeping software up to date and patched can close vulnerabilities that could be exploited by injection attacks.

Tools and Resources

• OWASP ZAP - An open-source web application security scanner.
• OWASP SQL Injection Prevention Cheat Sheet - Offers techniques to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Injection flaws are among the most dangerous web application vulnerabilities. However, by applying strict input validation, using secure coding practices, and regularly testing application security, organizations can significantly mitigate the risks associated with injection attacks.