How a Connection String Injection Attack is Performed?

This attack can be used to manipulate the web application’s access to a database using database connectivity objects. It is also the often overlooked method for attackers to avoid detection and bypass security controls designed for legitimate users. This type of hacking allows an attacker to bypass authentication controls and take full control over a website or app without requiring any user interaction or account creation, which is typically only available for users with administrative privileges.

Connection String Injection Attacks:

• Attackers can launch this type of attack using SQL code in an attempt to send a malicious request to the back-end database. The aim is to get the server to execute SQL commands that allow it access or control over the database.
• To protect against connection string injection attacks, developers should avoid including any user input into connections strings, such as a username and password. Developers should also use Secure String classes. Net software development languages.
• Connection string injection attacks are when attackers use SQL commands in an attempt to manipulate data stored on your servers, as well as gain access and control over your databases via a vulnerable server or application programming interface (API).

To launch a connection string injection attack, an attacker must first understand the software design of the network they plan to attack. By understanding how an API or software component accesses the database, attackers can use this knowledge to inject their own SQL commands. When an application uses parameters in its connection string (i.e., Data Source=UserDB), this leaves open the possibility for the SQL code to be executed by way of a command injection attack. An attacker could potentially send a malicious request to the back-end database, and as long as it contains SQL code that executes successfully, can gain control of the database server.

Connection String Injections Method: 

The connection string injection attack can be performed in many ways, as listed below.

• Using a default connection string: The attacker can use the default SQL Server connection string, which is “Integrated Security=SSPI; Data Source=localhost; Initial Catalog=master;” to inject a malicious query into the database. The red-marked query will be injected if an attacker uses the default connection string to run a query or execute a stored procedure.
• Using a cross-database connection string: The attacker can use the SQL server’s default connection string, which is “Integrated Security=SSPI; Data Source=localhost;” to inject a malicious query into the database. The red-marked query will be injected if an attacker uses the default connection string to run a query or execute a stored procedure.

Defend Against String Injection Attacks:

• Parsing: Hosts should compare the variable string against a list of data and replace it with a known good value based on the parsed result
• Caching: The next time a request is made, and a variable is found to be malicious, the data should be cached and returned for subsequent requests.
• Encryption: An encryption algorithm, such as AES or Two fish. This can make it difficult for attackers to interfere with responses if they do not have the key required to decipher them. 
• Limiting Access: by IP address or requiring authentication can help reduce risks when configured correctly.
• Auditing:  A method used in some web applications that record malicious traffic and attempts to gain access to systems.

Defend Against Common Attacks on the Web:

Preventing SQL injection through parameterization, design, and enforcement of strong security policies within an organization’s perimeter defense. This primarily involves the use of stored procedures and ‘strong’ forms of SQL syntax, rather than dynamically constructed SQL queries. The latter are more subject to misinterpretation by both the client’s first-party application code (as a result of its comparatively weak knowledge of data structures) and by an adversary (who may deliberately craft malformed input strings in order to exploit any weakness in how knowledge about data structures is enforced).

SQL Injection Attacks:

The SQL injection is the most common attack method for penetrating the web application. It is a type of “Code Injection” where hackers inject their own code into the target site or web application. SQL injection is one of the most effective and under-utilized hacking techniques that can be used by attackers to bypass authentication controls and take full control over a website or an app.

User credentials are a major problem in web applications. Most applications offer their users the option to create an account and log in with their user credentials. However, most of these accounts are not under the control of the application developer and there is no technical way to ensure that each new account created is related to a legitimate user. Moreover, the user has no control over the creation of a new account and can’t even tell whether a new account was created by their own request. This implies that a hacker who wants to gain full access to your application can simply create an additional account and use it to log in to your application or take over another account that already has privileges.

Types of SQL Injection Attacks:

• Using a single (‘) or double quote (‘).  The hacker can inject his own SQL code by manipulating the single (‘) or double quote(‘) characters.
• At the end of most sentences, you may even see’ because it is used to show an end to the sentence. 
• If you begin the sentence with ‘, you will see ‘. If a hacker gets into your website and adds two quotes, he can use his own SQL code within those quotes, allowing him to gain access to or control your database.
• Using comments and spaces.  The hacker can also inject his own SQL code by manipulating comments and spaces. 

Conclusion:

As we see, some attacks can be done with the help of SQL Injection, and it can be resolved by parameterization, design, and enforcement of strong security policies within an organization’s perimeter defense.

SQL injection attacks are often overlooked because they are quite hard to carry out, although they do not need a sophisticated hacker to commit. The main goal of the attacker is to simply cause harm so that the victim’s system is destroyed or stolen from. Session hijacking is one of the greatest dangers posed by SQL injection. Many parameters within a webpage have their values stored in a database for quicker retrieval and faster processing of information for delivery to the user who requested it.