What are the best practices or standards for SQL injection testing and reporting?

1 Why test for SQL injection?

SQL injection testing is essential for ensuring the quality and security of your database applications. By testing for SQL injection, you can identify and fix any vulnerabilities in your code, prevent data breaches and unauthorized access, and comply with regulatory and ethical requirements. SQL injection testing can also help you improve your coding skills and avoid common mistakes that can lead to SQL injection.

2 How to test for SQL injection?

There are various methods and tools for testing for SQL injection, depending on your needs and resources. Manual testing involves using a web browser or tool like Burp Suite to manually enter and submit SQL statements or payloads into input fields or parameters of your application, and observe the results. This can be time-consuming and tedious, but it can also give you more control and insight into the logic and behavior of your application. Automated testing, on the other hand, employs a tool like sqlmap or Nmap to automatically scan and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities in your application, and generate reports and logs. This can be faster and more efficient, but it might miss some subtle or complex vulnerabilities, or produce false positives or negatives. Lastly, unit testing involves writing and running code snippets or scripts that test specific functions or modules of your application for SQL injection. This can be integrated into your development process and environment to help you catch errors and bugs early on.

3 What to report for SQL injection?

When performing SQL injection testing, it is important to document and report findings and recommendations in a clear and concise way. Your report should include the scope and objectives of the testing, the methods and tools used, details and screenshots of each vulnerability found (such as URL, parameter, payload, error message, data retrieved, or command executed), the severity and impact of each vulnerability (using a standard scale like CVSS or OWASP), the remediation and mitigation steps for each vulnerability (such as using parameterized queries, escaping input, validating input, or implementing firewalls), and any limitations or assumptions of the testing (such as coverage, accuracy, or reliability of the results).