CompTIA PenTest+ Practice Test

Which technique is often used to exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities by targeting application errors?

1. Blind SQL Injection

2. Error-Based SQL Injection

3. Time-Based SQL Injection

4. Union-Based SQL Injection

The correct answer is: Error-Based SQL Injection

Error-based SQL injection is a technique that leverages the error messages returned by the database to extract valuable information about the structure and content of the database. When an application improperly handles SQL queries, it may reveal diagnostic information or display database errors that can be manipulated by an attacker. This technique involves deliberately causing the application to throw an error by sending specially crafted inputs, which then reveal the underlying database schema, table names, and even data by exhibiting the specific formatting of error messages. In contrast, other techniques like blind SQL injection do not rely on directly visible error messages; instead, they infer information based on the behavior of the application. Time-based SQL injection relies on delays to infer truths about the database when the application does not return useful error messages. Union-based SQL injection is used to combine results from different queries but also does not inherently exploit application errors as a primary mechanism. By understanding how error-based SQL injection operates through application errors, security professionals can better protect against such vulnerabilities by implementing proper error handling and sanitization measures.