Sql Injection Attacks and Countermeasures: a Survey of Website Development Practices

This study involved the development and subsequent use of a bespoke SQL Injection vulnerability scanner to analyze a set of unique approaches to common tasks, identified by conducting interviews with developers of high-traffic Web sites. The vulnerability scanner was developed to address many recognized shortcomings in existing scanning software, principal among which were the requirements for a comprehensive yet lightweight solution, with which to quickly test targeted aspects of online applications; and a scriptable, Linux-based system. Emulations of each approach were built, using PHP and MySQL, which were then analyzed with the aid of the bespoke scanner. All discovered vulnerabilities were resolved and despite the variety of approaches to securing online applications, adopted by those interviewed; a small number of root causes of SQL Injection vulnerabilities were identified. This allowed a SQL injection security checklist to be compiled to facilitate developers in identifying insecure practices prior to an online application\u27s initial release and following any modifications or upgrades