SQL injection is a type of cyber attack where a hacker injects malicious SQL code into a vulnerable website or application. The goal is to manipulate the database and access sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. Here is an example of a SQL injection attack:
Suppose there is a website that displays customer information based on their user ID. The website URL looks something like this:
https://example.com/customer?id=123
The website uses SQL to retrieve the customer data from the database based on the user ID. The SQL query might look like this:
SELECT * FROM customers WHERE id = 123An attacker could exploit this by injecting malicious SQL code into the user ID parameter, like this:
https://example.com/customer?id=123' OR '1'='1The SQL query generated by this input would look like this:
SELECT * FROM customers WHERE id = 123' OR '1'='1'The injected code ‘ OR ‘1’=’1′ will always return true, bypassing any password checks, and allowing the attacker to access all customer data in the database.
This is just one example of a SQL injection attack. It’s important for website developers to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities.