The document discusses the critical importance of database security, highlighting how vulnerabilities, especially through SQL injection, can lead to significant data breaches and financial losses. It outlines methods of hacking databases, preventative measures, and emphasizes the necessity of robust security practices to protect sensitive information. Recommendations include using encryption, strong password policies, and regular audits to safeguard against attacks.

1. Unethical Access to Website’s
Databases
Hacking Using SQL Injection
January 9, 2012 Satyajit Mukherjee
Website-http://satyajit.page4.me

2. Overview
• Introduction
• Why database security?
• How databases are hacked?
• More on SQL Injection
• How to protect against attacks?
• Conclusions
• References

3. Introduction
• By one estimate, 53 million people have had data
about themselves exposed over the past 13 months.
(InformationWeek, 03/20/2006)
– This is old news, right now the number is > 100 million !!!
• Data theft is becoming a major threat.
• Criminals have identified where the gold is.
• In the last year many databases from fortune 500
companies were compromised.
• As we will see compromising databases is not big
deal if they haven't been properly secured.

4. Introduction
Rank # of Records Entity Date of Incident Type of
or People or Report Incident
TJX, Inc. 2007-01-17 Hack
1 94,000,000
2 90,000,000 TRW 1984-06-22 Hack
3 40,000,000 Card Systems 2005-06-17 Hack
4 30,000,000 Deutsche Telekom 2008-11-01 Exposure
U.S. Department of
5 26,500,000 2006-05-22 Stolen Laptop
Veterans Affairs
HM Revenue and Customs /
6 25,000,000 2007-10-18 Lost Tapes
TNT
7 18,000,000 Auction.co.kr 2008-02-17 Hack
National Personnel Records
8 18,000,000 1973-07-12 Fire
Center
9 16,000,000 Revenue Canada 1986-11-23 Theft
Bank of New York Mellon /
10 12,500,000 2008-03-26 Lost Tape
Archive Systems Inc.
Note: As of April 10, 2009
Date: PogoWasRight.org

5. Introduction
• • Want to be more scared?
• –Chronology of Data Breaches
• http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm
• –Some estimated money losses
• • ChoicePoint: $15 million
• • B.J.'s Wholesale: $10 million
• • Acxiom: $850,000
• • Providence Health System: $9 million

6. Why Database security?
• Databases are were your most valuable data rest
– Corporate data.
– Customer data.
– Financial data.
– etc.
• If your databases don't work then your company won't
work
– Try to do a quick estimation of how much money
you will
• lose if your databases don't work for a couple of
hours, a day, etc.
• If your databases are hacked then your company can
• run out of business or you can lose millions.

7. Why Database security?
• You must comply with regulations, laws,
etc.
– Sarbanes Oxley (SOX).
– Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data
Security Standard.
– Healthcare Services (HIPAA) .
– Financial Services (GLBA) .
– California Senate Bill No. 1386 .
– Data Accountability and Trust Act (DATA).
– Etc.

8. Why Database security?
• Database vulnerabilities affect all
database vendors
– Some vendors (like Oracle) are more affected
than others.
• On 2006 Oracle released 4 Critical Patch
Updates related to database servers
– Fixed more than 20 remote vulnerabilities!!!
• On 2007 there are still > 50 unpatched
vulnerabilities on Oracle Database Server
– No matter if your server is up to date with
patches, it still can be easily hacked.

9. Why Database security?
• Perimeter defense is not enough
– Databases have many entry points
• Web applications
• Internal networks
• Partners networks
• Etc.
• If the OSs and the networks are properly secured,
databases still could be:
– Misconfigured.
– Have weak passwords.
– Vulnerable to known/unknown vulnerabilities.
– etc.

10. How Databases are hacked?
• Password guessing/bruteforcing
– If passwords are blank or not strong they can be
easily guessed/bruteforced.
– After a valid user account is found is easy to complete
compromise the database, especially if the database
is Oracle.
• Passwords and data sniffed over the network
– If encryption is not used, passwords and data can be
sniffed
• Exploiting misconfigurations
– Some database servers are open by default
• Lots of functionality enabled and sometimes
insecurely configured.

11. How Databases are hacked?
• Delivering a Trojan
– By email, p2p, IM, CD, DVD, pen drive, etc.
– Once executed
• Get database servers and login info
– ODBC, OLEDB, JDBC configured connections, Sniffing,
etc.
• Connect to database servers (try default accounts if
necessary).
• Steal data (run 0day and install rootkit if necessary).
• Find next target
– Looking at linked servers/databases.
– Looking at connections.
– Sniffing.
• Send encrypted data back to attacker by email, HTTPS,
covert channel, etc.

12. How Databases are hacked?
• Exploiting known/unknown vulnerabilities
– Buffer overflows.
– SQL Injection.
– Etc.
• Exploiting SQL Injection on web applications
– Databases can be hacked from Internet.
– Firewalls are complete bypassed.
– This is one of the easiest and preferred
method that criminals use to steal sensitive
information such as credit cards, social
security numbers, customer information, etc.

13. How Databases are hacked?
• Stealing disks and backup tapes
– If data files and backed up data are not encrypted,
once stolen data can be compromised.
• Insiders are a major threat
– If they can log in then they can hack the
database.
• Installing a rootkit/backdoor
– Actions and database objects can be hidden.
– Designed to steal data and send it to attacker
and/or to give the attacker stealth and
unrestricted access at any given time.

14. More on SQL Injection
• What is SQL Injection?
• SQL Injection Attack
• SQL Injection Prevention
• Cross-Site Scripting

15. What is SQL Injection?
• SQL injection is a basic attack used to either gain
unauthorized access to a database or to retrieve
information directly from the database.
• SQL injection can occur when an application uses input to
construct dynamic SQL statements. Successful SQL
injection attacks enable malicious users to execute
commands in an application's database.
• Many web applications take user input from a form. Often
this user input is used literally in the construction of a SQL
query submitted to a database. A SQL injection attack
involves placing SQL statements in the user input.
• Almost all existing databases are subject to SQL injection
attacks to varying degrees.

16. SQL Injection Attack
• Take an asp page that will link you to another page with the following URL:
• http://sqlinject/index.asp?customer=Talentica
• In the URL, 'customer' is the variable name, and ‘Talentica' is the value
assigned to the variable. In order to do that, an ASP might contain the
following code
• v_cat = request("customer")
sqlstr="SELECT * FROM Customer_Master WHERE Customer='" & v_cat & "'"
set rs=conn.execute(sqlstr)
• thus the SQL statement should become:
SELECT * FROM Customer_Master WHERE Customer = 'Talentica'
• Now, assume that we change the URL into something like this:
http://sqlinject/index.asp?customer=Talentica or 1=1—
•
Now, our variable v_cat equals to " Talentica ' or 1=1-- ", if we substitute this in
the SQL query, we will have:
• SELECT * FROM Customer_Master WHERE Customer = ‘Talentica’ or 1=1--'

17. SQL Injection Attack (Contd)
• Take the following page for another example:
http://sqlinject/index.asp?id=10
• We will try to UNION the integer '10' with
another string from the database:
http://sqlinject/index.asp?id=10 UNION
SELECT TOP 1 TABLE_NAME FROM
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE
TABLE_NAME LIKE '%25USER%25'--
• SELECT TOP 1 COLUMN_NAME FROM
INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
WHERE TABLE_NAME= 'USERS' AND
COLUMN_NAME LIKE '%USER%'

18. SQL Injection Attack(Contd)
• The login page had a traditional username-and-password form,
but also an email-me-my-password link; the latter proved to be
the downfall of the whole system.
SQL SqlDataAdapter myCommand = new SqlDataAdapter( "SELECT
username, passowrd FROM users WHERE username = '" + SSN.Text + "'",
myConnection);
The following script shows a simple SQL injection. The script builds an SQL
query by concatenating hard-coded strings together with a string entered by
the user:
var iusername, ipassword
user = Request.form ("iusername");
password = Request.form ("ipassword");
var sql = "SELECT username,passowrd FROM where username = '" + user + "'"
password = '" + password + "'";
The developer's intention was that when the code runs, it inserts the user's
input and generates a SQL the following statement.
SELECT username,passowrd FROM users WHERE username=@existinguser

19. SQL Injection Attack(Contd)
select * from Users
where username ='test'
Depending on response is a dead giveaway that user input is not being
sanitized properly and that the application is ripe for exploitation.
select * from Users
where username ='test' OR 'x'='x‘
SELECT *
FROM Users
WHERE emailid = 'x' OR username LIKE '%test%';
SELECT *
FROM Users
WHERE emailid = 'x'; DROP TABLE test; --';
SELECT *
FROM Users;
INSERT INTO Users
VALUES (3,‘test',‘test','abcd@yahoo.com');--';
SELECT *
FROM Users
WHERE emailid = 'x'; UPDATE Users SET emailid = 'abcd@yahoo.com‘ ;

20. SQL Injection Prevention
• Check and filter user input
Length limit on input (most attacks depend on long query strings).
Do not allow suspicious keywords (DROP, INSERT, SELECT, SHUTDOWN).
Call stored procedures, instead of directly sending SQL statements to the
database. parameter is treated as a literal value and not as executable code
• Eliminate string concatenation to create SqlCommandText
. Use SqlCommand with Parameters
. Eliminate EXECUTE (@sql)
If dynamic SQL required: Use sp_executesql with parameters
Review Your Application's Use of Parameterized Stored Procedures
• Principal of Least Privilege
A user or process should have the lowest level of privilege required in order to
perform his assigned task.
If you know a specific user will only read from the database, do not grant him
root privileges.
Segregate users. Define roles.
• The Microsoft Source Code Analyzer for SQL Injection tool is available to find
SQL injection vulnerabilities in ASP code Coding techniques available for
protecting against Sql injection

21. Cross-Site Scripting
Dynamic websites suffer from a threat that static websites don't, called "Cross Site
Scripting"
Cross site scripting (also known as XSS) occurs when a web application gathers
malicious data from a user.
After the data is collected by the web application, it creates an output page for the
user containing the malicious data that was originally sent to it, but in a manner to
make it appear as valid content from the website. Many popular guestbook and
forum programs allow users to submit posts with html and javascript embedded in
them.
e.g. an attack on your database and update up to 5000 rows in every table and
replace your strings in your database with random XSS attacks.
Everything from account hijacking, changing of user settings, cookie theft/poisoning,
or false advertising is possible.
To prevent cross-site scripting:
–Check that ASP.NET request validation is enabled.
–Review ASP.NET code that generates HTML output.
–Determine whether HTML output includes input parameters.
–Review potentially dangerous HTML tags and attributes.
–Evaluate countermeasures.

22. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Set a good password policy
– Strong passwords.
• Educate users to use passphrases.
– No password reuse.
– Login lockdown after x failed logins attempts.
• Keep up to date with security patches
– Always test them for some time on non production
servers first and monitor for patch problems on
mailing lists
• Sometimes they could open holes instead of fixing them.

23. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• At firewall level
– Allow connections only from trusted hosts.
– Block all non used ports.
– Block all outbound connections
• Why the database would need to connect to a host
or Internet?
• Set exceptions for replication, linked databases,
etc.
• Disable all non used functionality
– Use hardening guides from trusted parties.
– Remember to test on non production servers
first.

24. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Use encryption
– At network level
• SSL, database proprietary protocols.
– At file level
• File and File System encryption
– Backups, Data files, etc.
– At database level
– Column level encryption.
– Databases encryption API.
– Third party solutions.

25. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Periodically check for object and system permissions
– Check views, stored procedures, tables, etc.
permissions.
– Check file, folder, registry, etc. permissions.
• Periodically check for new database installations
– Third party products can install database servers
• New servers could be installed with blank or weak
passwords.
• Periodically check for users with database
administration privileges
– This helps to detect intrusions, elevation of privileges, etc.
• Periodically check for database configuration and settings.

26. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Periodically check database system objects against
changes
– Helps to detect rootkits.
• Periodically audit your web applications
– SQL Injection.
– Misconfigurations.
– Permissions.
– etc.
• On web applications use low privileged users to
connect to database servers
– If vulnerable to SQL Injection, attacks could be
limited.

27. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Run database services under low privileged
accounts
– If database services are compromised then OS
compromise could be a bit difficult.
• Log as much as possible
– Periodically check logs for events such as:
• Failed logins.
• Incorrect SQL syntax.
• Permissions errors.
• Etc.
• Monitor user activities.
• Monitor user accesses.

28. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Build a database server honeypot
– Helps to detect and prevent internal and external
attacks.
– Usually attackers will go first for the low hanging fruit.
– Set up an isolated server
• All outbound connections should be blocked.
• Set it to log everything, run traces and set alerts.
• Set up other services to create a realistic environment.
• Set blank or easily guessable passwords.
• Make the server looks interesting
– You can link it from production servers.
– Set it an interesting name like CreditCardServer, SalaryServer, etc.
– Create databases with names like CreditCards, CustomersInfo, etc.
– Create tables with fake data that seems real.

29. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• Build a home made IDS/IPS
– On sensitive Database Servers depending on
available functionality you can set alerts to get
notifications or to perform some actions when
some errors occur:
• Failed login attempts.
• Incorrect SQL syntax.
• UNION statement errors.
• Permissions errors.

30. How to Protect Against Attacks?
• As we just saw Data Theft threat is real and
database security is very important.
• One simple mistake can lead to database
compromise.
• Perimeter defense is not enough.
• You must protect your databases and you have
to invest on database protection.
• If you don't protect your databases sooner or
later you will get hacked
– This means lot of money loses.
– In worst case running out of business.

31. Conclusions
• Protect your data as you protect your
money!!!!!!!
– Think about it, if you lose data you lose
money.
• Use third party tools for
– Encryption.
– Vulnerability assessment.
– Auditing.
– Monitoring, Intrusion prevention, etc.
• Train IT staff on database security.
• Ask us for professional services :).

32. References
• A Chronology of Data Breaches Reported Since
the ChoicePoint Incident
http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm
• The high cost of data loss
http://www.informationweek.com/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID
=183700367&pgno=1
• Swipe toolkit calculator
http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/calculator.html
• How much are your personal details worth?
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/pf/20060221b1.asp

33. References
• Security & Privacy - Made Simpler
http://bbb.org/securityandprivacy/SecurityPrivacyMadeSimpler.pdf
• NTLM unsafe
http://www.isecpartners.com/documents/NTLM_Unsafe.pdf
• Manipulating MS SQL Server using SQL
Injection
http://www.appsecinc.com/presentations/Manipulating_SQL_Server
_Using_SQL_Injection.pdf
• Papers, advisories and exploits
http://www.argeniss.com/research.html

34. ● Questions?
● Thanks.
● Contact: satyajit.mukherjee@gmail.com