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Let’s learn everything to protect our database management systems from injection and other threats in the OWASP Top 10 2024. Dive in!
You don’t need to be an elite security expert to understand that data breaches are a common problem. They’ve been a common problem for decades and, experts say, they will continue to be a headache for years to come.
Part of the reason why that’s happening is because developers fail to protect their most precious assets — applications and databases — from the threats outlined in the OWASP Top 10 2024.
Why Protect Your Application and Databases?
We will start by addressing the elephant in the room — you should protect your application and databases because if you don’t, you can be sure that it’s only a matter of time when they will be compromised and you will start seeing the names of your application and/or company in data breach search engines/directories like BreachDirectory and the like.
Take a look into the older versions of OWASP Top 10 and you will quickly understand that injection — SQL injection — tops the charts and that’s not without a reason; your database holds all of the sensitive data that is interacted with by your users making it a prime target for attackers.
The Most Dangerous Flaws in OWASP Top 10 2024
Dangerous and interesting, right? What’s also very interesting is the fact that the OWASP Top 10 2024 list hasn’t been released and the next OWASP Top 10 list will only be coming up in 2025. That’s because the OWASP team only releases security advisories once every three or four years; however, judging by what’s already been released previously, we can make some assumptions about some of the most dangerous flaws that are likely to be in the list:
Of course, there will be others; some security issues may be removed from the list while some may be added. Not all of them will necessitate protecting your database from them, too: those that will, however, are likely to pose an extremely serious risk to the users and consumers of your application.
Protecting Your Database From OWASP Top 10 2024
To protect your database from the threats outlined in OWASP Top 10 2024, start from the bottom:
The code snippet above would still leave your application and database susceptible to SQL injection.
However, if you would parameterize your queries like so:
You would avoid SQL injection because user input and the query that’s being provided to the database beforehand would be separated. Actually, you would also avoid XSS as well because the line #10 in our code snippet evades all HTML entities before returning anything containing itself to the user: have you noticed that one? XSS was a part of the OWASP Top 10 in 2017 and its previous editions too and it’s pretty dangerous as it is, so protecting your application against it never hurts.
Finally, to further your security fortress, opt to execute SQL queries using SQL clients like DbVisualizer: with its extensive support for more than 50 data sources, you will certainly find your database in the list, and with exclusive features like autocomplete, ER diagrams, and data export tools, DbVisualizer is sure to make your day-to-day database management tasks so much easier. Give DbVisualizer Pro a spin by using a 21-day free trial!
Summary
The OWASP Top 10 2024 was never a thing; however, an OWASP Top 10 2025 version is coming up sooner than we may expect and this blog has shown you what you can expect from the threats that may be coming up in this edition.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog and that you will come back for more, but for now, stay safe, stay educated by reading books on databases and cybersecurity like “Hacking MySQL: Breaking, Optimizing, and Securing MySQL for Your Use Case,” and I’ll see you in the next one. Bye for now.
FAQ
What is the OWASP Top 10 2024?
The OWASP Top 10 is the list of the most dangerous security flaws targeting web applications that’s updated every 3 to 4 years. The next update of OWASP is planned somewhere in 2025.
Why should I use DbVisualizer Pro?
Consider using the Pro version of DbVisualizer because it will allow you to export data in various formats, edit data as if it were a spreadsheet, view XML data in a tree or text format, come with a SQL formatter with extensive customization options, and so much more. Try DbVisualizer Pro today!
Where can I learn more about SQL and databases in general?
To learn more about SQL and databasing in general, we suggest you read books, attend seminars, conferences, and workshops, and network with professionals in your field. Reading books like “Hacking MySQL: Breaking, Optimizing, and Securing MySQL for Your Use Case” will be a good place to start and reading blogs like TheTable will also be a great place if you want to expand your existing knowledge.
