LDAP Injection Attack
LDAP injection is a type of security vulnerability that can occur when user input is not properly sanitized in applications that use LDAP to authenticate users or store information. LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, which is used to access and manage information stored in directories.
When an attacker takes advantage of an LDAP injection vulnerability, they can manipulate user input so that it is interpreted as part of an LDAP query. This can allow the attacker to bypass authentication, access sensitive information, or modify data stored in the directory.
For example, let’s say a web application uses LDAP to authenticate users. The application has a login page that asks for a username and password. An attacker could enter a malicious username that includes LDAP syntax (such as a parentheses or quotation mark) in order to manipulate the LDAP query and bypass authentication.
To prevent LDAP injection attacks, it’s important to sanitize user input and use parameterized queries in the application code. In addition, access controls should be in place to limit the privileges of LDAP accounts used by the application.
In summary, an LDAP injection attack is when an attacker manipulates user input to exploit a vulnerability in an application that uses LDAP. This can allow the attacker to bypass authentication or access sensitive information in the LDAP directory.