Injections refers to adding (or “injecting”) commands to inputs that a software application or a SaaS expects to receive from users, such as on forms, or APIs, with the intention that these commands will be executed by an underlying component or service, gaining control over that component, extracting data from it, or other malicious acts. This obviates the need for “etc.” because it indicates that the following are examples.
Injection attacks are a significant security threat because they exploit vulnerabilities in an application’s input validation routines. The most common form is SQL injection, where attackers insert or “inject” malicious SQL statements into an input field. If the application is not properly sanitizing its inputs, these statements can be executed by the database, leading to unauthorized data access, data manipulation, and even full database compromise.
Another type of injection attack is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), where attackers inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. These scripts can steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information from the victims’ browsers. Similarly, Command Injection attacks occur when an attacker is able to execute arbitrary commands on a host operating system through a vulnerable application. This type of attack can lead to complete control over the affected system.
To mitigate the risk of injection attacks, it is crucial for developers to employ rigorous input validation and sanitization techniques. Prepared statements and parameterized queries are effective against SQL injection. For XSS prevention, encoding user inputs in web pages is a standard practice. Additionally, implementing robust security practices like least privilege access controls and regular security testing can significantly reduce the vulnerability of applications to injection attacks. Educating developers about secure coding practices is also a key component in preventing these types of security breaches.