TechKnowSurge
CompTIA Security+ 2.3 CompTIA Security+ 2.4
InteractiveSecurityFree

Which Injection Attack?

Is each card command injection, SQL injection or cross-site scripting?

⚑ Complete this interactive to capture a CTF flag worth 5 points.

About this interactive

What you are doing: naming the injection attack by where the unchecked input ends up. All three feed input into a place it should not reach, and the destination tells them apart. Command injection runs the input as an operating-system command on the host. SQL injection makes the input part of a database query, so it returns or changes records it should not. Cross-site scripting gets the input rendered as live script in another user's browser. The fix for all three is the same idea: treat input as data, never as instructions. How to use it: ask where the input lands. The host operating system, the database query, or another person's browser?

What you'll learn

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+
2.3 Explain various types of vulnerabilities.
2.4 Given a scenario, analyze indicators of malicious activity.

Key terms

Command Injection
A type of injection attack where an attacker inserts operating system commands into an input field to execute unauthorized commands on the host system.
SQL Injection
SQLi
An attack that inserts malicious SQL code into a query to manipulate a database.
Cross-Site Scripting
XSS
Cross-Site Scripting is a web application attack in which malicious scripts are injected into trusted web pages and executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized actions on behalf of the victim.
Injection Attack
An attack where malicious input is inserted into an application's input fields to execute unauthorized commands or manipulate system behavior.

Topics

Command Injection Sql Injection Cross Site Scripting Interactive Categorize

About TechKnowSurge

TechKnowSurge builds IT and cybersecurity professionals through hands-on, concept-first training built around real understanding — not memorization. Free interactive tools, structured programs, and 25+ years of real-world experience, all in one place.

Explore free tools and programs →