How do you avoid detection and evasion techniques when using SQL injection tools?

The best tool is manual exploration, before trying any action using tools that can make noise and alert IDS/IPS and even suffer from WAF blocks, try performing manual actions by testing payloads in places that process data in the back-end and that communicate with a database. Once you have found the injection point, take advantage of the evasion techniques that tools like SQLMAP provide, to reduce the noise and better direct your attack.

In my experience, I've learned that understanding the intricacies of each tool and its compatibility with the target environment is crucial for evading detection and achieving desired outcomes. For instance, while conducting a penetration test, I encountered a legacy database system with unique quirks that rendered certain injection tools ineffective. By carefully evaluating the capabilities of various tools, I identified sqlmap as the optimal choice due to its robust feature set and flexibility with databases. This experience shows the importance of meticulously assessing tool functionalities and tailoring tool selection to suit specific target environments, ensuring seamless integration and effective exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Start off by exploiting it manually therefore using only the payloads you need. Be aware of the IP address you carry out the tests from, also consider altering the user agent. IP address with high authority may be allowed by the WAF e.g. Microsoft Azure, AWS etc.

You can modify SQLMAP so that it executes payloads that you have, however it can be effective or at the same time disruptive, so manual exploration is an important phase, if you want to carry out a more in-depth exploration or dump data in a more massive, it can be a good alternative, however, always use the techniques that SQLMAP has available and use the one that makes the most sense for the specific scenario, the more detailed the tests, the less noise there may be and the more chances of success there may be.

Customising sqlmap payloads for a specific application and its underlying framework is crucial for effective SQL injection testing. While sqlmap is versatile, tailoring payloads ensures relevance to the targeted system. For example, when dealing with a web application built on the ASP.NET framework, consider customising payloads to align with ASP.NET syntax and behaviours. Similarly, if the application is PHP-based, adapt payloads to PHP conventions.

Tampering techniques play a crucial role in augmenting the stealth and success of SQL injection attacks. In one scenario, I encountered a target application employing sophisticated WAF defenses that effectively blocked conventional SQL injection payloads. To circumvent these defenses, I leveraged tampering techniques such as encoding and obfuscation to disguise malicious payloads and evade detection. By encoding payloads with URL or base64 encoding and incorporating randomization tactics, I was able to obfuscate malicious intent and bypass the WAF's inspection, successfully exploiting SQL injection vulnerabilities.

You have tamper, obfuscation and even github tools like payload all the things that can help in the evasion process more efficiently, however always test before performing any action so that you do not execute a payload that could generate negative impacts on the environment .

Monitoring and adjusting requests in real-time are critical aspects of evading detection during SQL injection testing. During a recent assessment, I encountered a target environment with stringent rate-limiting mechanisms that throttled excessive traffic, hindering the effectiveness of conventional injection tactics. To adapt to this challenge, I implemented dynamic request throttling and randomized intervals between injection attempts to emulate legitimate user behavior and evade rate-limiting measures. Additionally, I leveraged VPNs and rotating IP addresses to obscure the source of requests, further enhancing stealth and circumventing IP-based blocking.

SQLMAP gives the attacker the opportunity to use proxychain tools and TOR itself to hide their traffic, however the attack will be slower, in other cases some use VPN as an alternative solution, but it is not always the only layer necessary, as it must have care in the way you generate behaviors in the environment.

You can introduce delays between requests (--delay), and sending payloads with null connections (--null-connection). Additionally, custom headers (--headers) and alternative SQL injection techniques (--technique) can be employed to enhance evasion.

Caution when exploiting POST requests or executing payloads that have the potential to impact data integrity, confidentiality, or system availability.

Never execute payloads that can delete a table or modify some important data, the way to measure the result is by showing what you were able to visualize and in the most critical scenario a reverse shell in the environment, but always document each step by step so that there are no problems. futures.

To test and verify an SQL injection attack, use tools to confirm the success of your payloads and validate data integrity through checksums or hashes. Ensure any changes or traces are undone with backups or cleanups, and document the attack with reports or summaries.

In addition to the technical aspects, it's essential to consider the ethical and legal implications of penetration testing activities. During engagements, maintaining transparency and obtaining proper authorization from stakeholders are paramount to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and ethical standards. Furthermore, fostering open communication and collaboration with clients fosters a proactive approach to security, enabling organizations to address vulnerabilities and mitigate risks effectively. By prioritizing ethical conduct and fostering a culture of trust and accountability, cybersecurity professionals can uphold the integrity and credibility of their assessment efforts while promoting a safer digital ecosystem for all!

Though it may be tempting to "set-it-and-forget-it" and "spray-and-pray" via bulldozing through heaps of links with SQLMap, you'll most likely be blocked by the WAF or you may irreperably mutilate your client's data, long before you discover a valid vulnerability. Sending very basic and specific injections and closely examining the responses will help you find the vulnerability quicker and learn more in the process. Many tamper scripts bundled with SQLMap are intended for specific backends and will only pile up useless requests and waste your time. The worst offense I've seen is some hackers that use over 20 tamper scripts at the same time! (Look at what that does through a proxy for a laugh sometime).