SQL injection is a type of web application security vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code into a web application's database in order to extract or modify sensitive data. This is typically done by inserting malicious input into a web form or URL, which is then processed bRead more
SQL injection is a type of web application security vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious SQL code into a web application’s database in order to extract or modify sensitive data. This is typically done by inserting malicious input into a web form or URL, which is then processed by the application’s database.
When a web application uses user-input data to construct SQL queries, an attacker can inject malicious SQL code as part of the input. If the application does not properly sanitize or validate the input, the malicious code can be executed by the database, allowing the attacker to access or modify sensitive data.
SQL injection attacks can be used to extract sensitive data, such as passwords or credit card numbers, or to modify data, such as inserting or deleting records. In some cases, an attacker may even be able to gain administrative access to the database or entire system.
SQL injection attacks can be prevented by using prepared statements, input validation, and escaping special characters to ensure that user-input data is not executed as SQL code. Regular security testing and code reviews can also help identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability that allows attackers to compromise user interactions with a vulnerable application. Here’s how it works: Vulnerability: A web application fails to properly validate and sanitize user input, allowing malicious code (usually JavaScript) to beRead more
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability that allows attackers to compromise user interactions with a vulnerable application. Here’s how it works:
Vulnerability: A web application fails to properly validate and sanitize user input, allowing malicious code (usually JavaScript) to be injected into web pages viewed by other users.
See lessExecution: When other users visit the compromised page, the injected code executes in their browsers, potentially stealing sensitive information or performing malicious actions on their behalf.
Prevention techniques:
Sanitize User Input: Validate and filter any data received from users before processing it.
Use libraries or built-in functions to escape special characters (like , and &) to prevent them from being interpreted as code.
Avoid using eval() or similar functions that execute arbitrary code.
Encode Output:Encode user-generated content before displaying it in web pages.
HTML-encode data using functions like htmlspecialchars() in PHP or similar methods in other languages.This ensures that user input is treated as plain text rather than executable code.
Limit User-Provided Data:Use user input only where necessary. Avoid echoing it directly into JavaScript, HTML, or other contexts.
If possible, use templating engines that automatically escape user input.
Content Security Policy (CSP):Implement a CSP header in your web application.
Specify which sources of content (scripts, styles, images, etc.) are allowed to load.
CSP helps prevent unauthorized execution of scripts by restricting the domains from which resources can be loaded.