SQL Injection or SQLi is not just a common vulnerability, it's a potential catastrophe waiting to happen. It poses a serious threat to the security and integrity of websites and databases, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data. The consequences of SQL injection attacks can be catastrophic, ranging from data breaches and financial losses to severe reputational damage for businesses. This article will explore how SQL injection works, its real-world consequences, and how to safeguard your WordPress and MariaDB applications against such attacks.

SQL Injection is a web security vulnerability that enables attackers to interfere with the queries a web application makes to its database. This attack exploits insufficient input validation by injecting malicious SQL code into input fields or URL parameters. The injected code modifies the intended SQL queries, allowing attackers to manipulate the database's behavior. As a result, attackers can execute unauthorized actions, which may compromise sensitive data, alter records, or even escalate their privileges to gain complete control over the database. By targeting applications that construct SQL queries dynamically using user-supplied input, SQL injection exploits can bypass authentication processes, extract confidential information, or disrupt application functionality. These vulnerabilities often arise due to the lack of parameterized queries or poor coding practices.

The primary motivations behind SQLi attacks and the benefits attackers seek to gain are as follows:

• Retrieve sensitive data (e.g., user credentials, payment details).
• Alter or delete data.
• Execute administrative operations on the database.
• Bypass authentication mechanisms.
• Potentially gain full control of the server hosting the database.

Suppose a WordPress CMS uses the following SQL query to authenticate users:

$query = "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '" . $_POST['username'] . "' AND password = '" . $_POST['password'] . "';";

If an attacker inputs the following username:

admin' OR '1'='1

The resulting query would be:

SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = 'admin' OR '1'='1' AND password = '';

This query always returns true for 1='1, allowing the attacker to bypass authentication.

Airline Security Breach via FlyCASS Platform: In September 2024, security researchers Ian Carroll and Sam Curry uncovered a vulnerability in the FlyCASS platform, used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to verify airline crew members. The flaw allowed individuals with basic SQLi knowledge to add fake pilots to airline rosters, potentially granting unauthorized access through security checkpoints and into airplane cockpits. Despite disclosure to the Department of Homeland Security, the TSA downplayed the severity, leading to public criticism and concerns over aviation security.

Internet Archive Data Breach: In October 2024, the Internet Archive, including its Wayback Machine, suffered a cyberattack affecting 31 million users. The breach involved a malicious JavaScript pop-up and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, rendering the Wayback Machine inaccessible. Stolen data included email addresses, usernames, and bcrypt-hashed passwords. A hacktivist group named SN_BlackMeta claimed responsibility, citing targeted actions against perceived U.S. connections. The incident raised concerns about the security of digital archives and the potential misuse of compromised data.

Dell Data Lakehouse Vulnerability (CVE-2024-47483): In October 2024, a critical SQLi vulnerability was identified in Dell Data Lakehouse versions 1.0.0.0 and 1.1.0.0. This flaw allowed attackers with local access to potentially steal sensitive information. Although Dell had not released a patch at the time, the exposure of such a vulnerability in a major company's product led to reputational damage. It highlighted the importance of timely security updates.

PHP is the backbone of WordPress, and its dynamic interaction with MariaDB requires a disciplined approach to coding practices. Implementing strong defenses against SQLi not only protects data but also preserves the website's reputation and functionality.

Properly sanitizing and validating user inputs is critical to preventing SQL injection. Both PHP and Python provide tools to achieve this.

PHP Example:

Use prepared statements with parameterized queries:

$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "user", "password", "database");
$stmt = $mysqli->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ? AND password = ?");
$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$stmt->execute();
$stmt->bind_param("ss", $username, $password);
$result = $stmt->get_result();

PHP provides several built-in functions to sanitize and validate inputs:

filter_var(): Validates and sanitizes data.

```
$email = filter_var($_POST['email'], FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
```

htmlspecialchars(): Converts special characters to HTML entities.

```
$input = htmlspecialchars($_POST['input']);
```

preg_match(): Validates input against regular expressions.

```
if (preg_match("/^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$/", $_POST['username'])) {
$username = $_POST['username'];
}
```

Configure the database to accept connections only from specific, trusted hosts when hosting the database on a separate server. You can achieve this in MariaDB by modifying the user privileges:

CREATE USER 'app_user'@'web_server_ip' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON app_database.* TO 'app_user'@'web_server_ip';

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is not just a security tool, it's a proactive defense mechanism. It's designed to protect web applications by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet. WAFs analyze incoming requests, identify potential threats, and block malicious activities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common web exploits. By sitting between the attacker and the content management system (CMS), a WAF ensures that harmful requests are blocked before they can exploit vulnerabilities, while legitimate traffic is safely routed to the CMS. This proactive defense can prevent unauthorized access or data breaches by implementing predefined security rules and behavioral analytics.

SQL injection remains a significant threat to web applications. However, you can greatly reduce the risk of SQL injection attacks by implementing robust input validation, using prepared statements, deploying a web application firewall, and restricting database access.

Need help? Quttera’s services offer a reliable Web Application Firewall and include features like behavioral analysis, machine learning for threat detection, and comprehensive reporting to identify and block SQLi attempts and other malicious activities proactively. Our continuous malware scanning and incident response services ensure swift recovery and continuous monitoring, keeping your WordPress and MariaDB applications secure against emerging threats. A combination of proactive measures and reliable security services will ensure your WordPress setup and MariaDB database remain secure against emerging threats.