Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What security issue arises when input is not properly sanitized, allowing attackers to execute harmful commands?

1. SQL injection attack

2. Denial of service attack

3. Cyber defamation

4. Trojan horse attack

The correct answer is: SQL injection attack

When input is not properly sanitized, it can lead to SQL injection attacks. This type of attack occurs when an attacker inserts or "injects" an SQL query via input data from the client to the application. If the application fails to validate or sanitize inputs, harmful SQL commands can be executed by the database, allowing the attacker to view, modify, or delete data. It exploits vulnerable input fields often found in web applications that interact with databases. The nature of SQL injection makes it particularly dangerous because it can be used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, manipulate data, or execute administrative operations on the database. Proper input sanitization, such as using prepared statements or parameterized queries, is essential to prevent such vulnerabilities, making this security measure critical in any application that handles database queries.