12 detecting sql injection vulnerability using owasp zap

okay, let's delve into sql injection (sqli) vulnerability detection using owasp zap (zed attack proxy), with a focus on practical examples and a comprehensive understanding of the process. this tutorial will guide you through setting up zap, configuring it for effective scanning, identifying sqli vulnerabilities, and interpreting the results, all while illustrating with code examples.

**i. understanding sql injection**

before we begin with zap, it's crucial to understand the nature of sql injection.

* **what is sql injection?**

sql injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with the queries that an application makes to its database. attackers exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious sql code into an application's input fields. the database interprets this injected code as legitimate commands, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or even complete database takeover.

* **how it works (simple example):**

imagine a website with a login form that authenticates users by querying the database. the sql query might look like this:



if the application doesn't properly sanitize the user-supplied `$username` and `$password`, an attacker could inject sql code into these fields. for example, they might enter the following as the username:



the resulting sql query would then become:



since `'1'='1'` is always true, this query effectively bypasses the username and password authentication, potentially granting the attacker access as the first user in the table (or depending on the query, all users).

* **types of sql injection:**

* **in-band sql injection:** the attacker retrieves results directly within the application's normal output channel (e.g., seeing the injected data in the web page).
* **blind sql injection:** the attacker can't directly see the results of the injected query, but they can infer information based on the application's respon ...

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