Exposing Login Page Vulnerabilities with Time-Based SQL Injection

In the realm of cybersecurity, SQL injection remains a notorious threat, with time-based SQL injection being one of the most elusive methods. This tutorial will guide you through exploiting a login page vulnerability using two powerful tools: SQLMap and Burp Suite. By the end of this demonstration, you’ll understand how these attacks work and learn crucial defense mechanisms to protect your web applications.

The Basics of SQL Injection

SQL injection is a technique where an attacker exploits improperly sanitized user inputs to execute arbitrary SQL commands on a database. In time-based SQL injection, the attacker leverages the database’s response time to infer whether the input was successful, without needing direct feedback from the application.

vulnerable webpage

Practical Demonstration:

Lets dive into the practical demonstration:

• Step 1: Open Burp Suite and navigate to the “Proxy” tab. Ensure the proxy is running.
• Step 2: Configure your browser to use Burp Suite as a proxy. Typically, you will set the browser’s proxy settings to 127.0.0.1:8080.
• Step 3: In Burp Suite, make sure “Intercept is on” to capture the requests from your browser.

proxy setting with burpsuite

Intercepting the Login Request with Burp Suite

• Step 1: Go to the login page of your target application in your browser and attempt to log in with any credentials. Burp Suite will capture the request.
• Step 2: In Burp Suite, find the intercepted request in the tab. Send this request to the “save items” by right-clicking.
• Step 3: Save the request to a file, for example, request.

capturing the login page

Crafting the Attack

• Step 1: Use SQLMap to exploit the identified vulnerability:

sqlmap -r request --batch --dbs

Here we finally exploited the time based sql injection on a vulnerable web page

Real-World Impact

Time-based SQL injection can lead to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, and potentially full system compromise. The stealthy nature of this attack makes it particularly dangerous, as it does not rely on visible error messages or direct feedback.

Defending Against SQL Injection

To protect your applications from SQL injection attacks, implement the following security measures:

1. Parameterized Queries: Always use prepared statements and parameterized queries to prevent SQL code injection.
2. Input Validation: Validate and sanitize all user inputs to ensure they do not contain malicious SQL code.
3. Least Privilege Principle: Ensure that database accounts have the minimum necessary permissions.
4. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): Use WAFs to detect and block SQL injection attempts.
5. Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Time-based SQL injection is a potent tool in the hands of a hacker, capable of exposing significant vulnerabilities in web applications. By leveraging tools like SQLMap and Burp Suite, security professionals can identify and address these vulnerabilities. Understanding the mechanics of these attacks and implementing robust security practices is crucial in safeguarding your data and maintaining the integrity of your systems.

Linkdin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinkewat/

By Sachin kewat on June 3, 2024.