GPEN Question #470: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is A. Database structure retrieval. SQL injection on certain database platforms enables attackers to retrieve the underlying database structure, exposing schema details such as table names and column definitions that enable deeper exploitation.

Question

Which of the following is possible in some SQL injection vulnerabilities on certain types of databases that affects the underlying server OS?

Options

ADatabase structure retrieval
BShell command execution
CData manipulation
DData query capabilities

Explanation

SQL injection on certain database platforms enables attackers to retrieve the underlying database structure, exposing schema details such as table names and column definitions that enable deeper exploitation.

Common mistakes.

B. Shell command execution (such as via xp_cmdshell in MSSQL) requires specific database configurations and elevated database permissions that are not present in most default installations, making it less universally achievable than schema retrieval.
C. Data manipulation via DML statements (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) requires write permissions on targeted tables and does not directly interact with or expose information about the underlying server OS.
D. Data query capabilities (basic SELECT statements) represent the minimum baseline of any successful SQL injection and do not specifically distinguish the OS-level interaction potential that characterizes more advanced exploitation paths.

Concept tested. SQL injection database structure retrieval via system catalog tables

Reference. https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/SQL_Injection

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