SQL Injection: Hibernate

Description

Using Hibernate to execute a dynamic SQL statement built with user-controlled input can allow an attacker to modify the statement's meaning or to execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Common Consequences 1

Scope: ConfidentialityIntegrity

Impact: Read Application DataModify Application Data

Potential Mitigations 5

Phase: Requirements

A non-SQL style database which is not subject to this flaw may be chosen.

Phase: Architecture and Design

Follow the principle of least privilege when creating user accounts to a SQL database. Users should only have the minimum privileges necessary to use their account. If the requirements of the system indicate that a user can read and modify their own data, then limit their privileges so they cannot read/write others' data.

Phase: Architecture and Design

For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid Client-Side Enforcement of Server-Side Security. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.

Phase: Implementation

Implement SQL strings using prepared statements that bind variables. Prepared statements that do not bind variables can be vulnerable to attack.

Phase: Implementation

Use vigorous allowlist style checking on any user input that may be used in a SQL command. Rather than escape meta-characters, it is safest to disallow them entirely. Reason: Later use of data that have been entered in the database may neglect to escape meta-characters before use. Narrowly define the set of safe characters based on the expected value of the parameter in the request.

Demonstrative Examples 1

The following code excerpt uses Hibernate's HQL syntax to build a dynamic query that's vulnerable to SQL injection.