Vulnerability Management Report
SQL Injection Command
1. Vulnerability Details
Vulnerability Name SQL Injection (Authentication Bypass / Information Disclosure)
Vulnerability Type CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL
Command ('SQL Injection')
Severity Critical [CRITICAL RISK]
OWASP Top 10 A03:2021 – Injection
Target URL [Link]
Exposed Artifact User ID parameter (id GET parameter)
2. Vulnerability Description
The application fails to properly sanitize user input provided in the User ID search parameter before
constructing dynamic SQL queries.
By injecting a single quote ' followed by a boolean condition that always evaluates to true (OR '1'='1), the
structure of the database query was manipulated. This logic alteration bypassed the intended search
filtering, forcing the database back-end to return the internal credentials and account details of every
registered user in the database.
The vulnerability was further confirmed using sqlmap, which identified both time-based blind and UNION-
based injection vectors, allowing full database enumeration and data exfiltration.
3. Proof of Concept (PoC) Steps
• Step 1: Navigate to [Link]
• Step 2: Enter the payload 1' OR '1'='1 in the User ID field and click Submit.
• Step 3: Observe that the application returns sensitive information (First Name and Surname)
for all users instead of a single record.
• Step 4 (Advanced): Use sqlmap to fully dump the users table:
Bash
sqlmap -u "[Link] \--
cookie="PHPSESSID=ugbod65u7b2oga09lluhfi8c29; security=low" \-D dvwa -T users --dump --
batch
• Step 5: Password hashes are cracked revealing plaintext credentials (e.g., admin:password).
4. Business & Technical Impact
The impact of this vulnerability is Critical.
• Unauthenticated database access leading to massive data exfiltration.
• Full disclosure of all user accounts, including administrative credentials.
• Attackers can leak sensitive user information, personal data, and hashed/cracked passwords.
• Depending on database configuration, attackers may also write files to the server, execute system
commands, or achieve full remote code execution.
• Combined with weak passwords and lack of rate limiting, this leads to easy account takeover and
potential full system compromise.
5. Remediation & Mitigation Strategies
• Immediate Actions (Within 24 Hours)
• Change all passwords in the database (especially the admin account).
• Temporarily disable the vulnerable SQL Injection page or restrict access.
• Reset the DVWA database and switch security level to High.
• Short Term Actions (1–7 Days)
• Refactor all database queries to use Prepared Statements / Parameterized Queries.
• Implement strict input validation (whitelist only numeric values for id field).
• Enable ModSecurity or a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with strong SQLi protection
rules.
• Upgrade password storage from MD5 to bcrypt / Argon2.
• Long Term Actions
• Conduct a full code review of all database interactions in the application.
• Adopt modern frameworks with built-in ORM and secure defaults.
• Implement comprehensive logging and monitoring for anomalous SQL queries.
• Enforce least privilege principle for the database user.
• Perform regular automated (DAST) and manual penetration testing.
• Provide secure coding training focused on OWASP Top 10 – Injection.