Which of the following attacks allows an attacker to enter the malicious data into a website?

An input validation attack is any malicious action against a computer system that involves manually entering strange information into a normal user input field. Input validation attacks take place when an attacker purposefully enters information into a system or application with the intentions to break the system's functionality.

Sometimes a web application can cause a malicious attack or input validation attack all while running in the background. However in most cases, it is an individual putting the data into the system and corrupting its performance.

When information is input by an application or user as part of a user input attack it can make a computer vulnerable to unauthorized changes and destructive commands. The type of unsafe data entered into a system can range from simple words to malicious code to massive scale information attacks. The best form of defense against these attacks is to test for input validation prior to deploying an application.

Types of input validation attacks

A few common types of input validation attacks include:

  • Buffer overflow- This is a type of attack that sends too much information for a system to process, causing a computer or network to stop responding. A buffer overflow might also cause excess information to take up memory that was not intended for it, sometimes even overwriting memory.
  • Canonicalization attacks- A canonicalization attack takes place when someone changes a file directory path that has digital permissions to access parts of a computer in order to allow access to malicious parties that use this unauthorized entry to steal sensitive information or make unapproved changes.
  • XSS attacks- Also called cross-site scripting, these attacks involve placing a malicious link in an innocuous place, like a forum, which contains most of a valid URL with a dangerous script embedded. An unsuspecting visitor might trust the site they are on and not worry that a comment or entry on the site contains a virus.
  • SQL injection attacks- SQL injection attacks involve taking a public URL and adding SQL code to the end to try to gain access to sensitive information. An attacker might enter code into a field commanding a computer to do something like copy all of the contents of a database to the hacker, authenticate malicious information, reveal hidden entries in a database or delete information without consent.

This was last updated in June 2019

Continue Reading About input validation attack

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A cross-site scripting (XSS) attack fools the user's machine into executing malicious code, although it thinks it secure because it seemingly comes from a trusted server. When the script runs, it lets the hacker steal the cookie.

Which of the following attacks might allow an attacker to steal one of your browser cookies?

Cookie poisoning attacks are dangerous because they enable attackers to use the data stored inside cookies to gain unauthorized access to users' accounts or to steal their identities.

Which type of attack could hijack a session or send a user to a malicious site to steal sensitive information?

What is a phishing attack. Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.

Which attack forces uses to execute malicious commands in a web application?

During an injection attack, an attacker can provide malicious input to a web application (inject it) and change the operation of the application by forcing it to execute certain commands. An injection attack can expose or damage data and lead to a denial of service or a full webserver compromise.