SQL Injection

SQL injection is one of the most common and dangerous web application security vulnerabilities. It occurs when an attacker can insert or "inject" malicious SQL code into queries that an application sends to its database. This can allow attackers to bypass authentication, access unauthorized data, modify or delete data, or even execute administrative operations. SQL injection exploits occur when user input is directly concatenated into SQL queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. Prevention methods include: using parameterized queries (prepared statements), employing ORM frameworks, implementing input validation, applying the principle of least privilege for database accounts, and using Web Application Firewalls (WAFs).