What type of attack uses SQL commands to manipulate data through a web application?

The attack that uses SQL commands to manipulate data through a web application is known as SQL injection. In this type of attack, an attacker inserts or "injects" malicious SQL statements into an entry field for execution. This can allow the attacker to manipulate the underlying database in various ways, including retrieving sensitive data, modifying existing records, or even executing administrative operations on the database.

This vulnerability often arises from poor input validation in web applications, where user input is not properly sanitized before being included in SQL queries. When successful, SQL injection can lead to unauthorized access to data and can compromise the security of an entire application.

In contrast, cross-site scripting (XSS) exploits vulnerabilities that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, which is different from directly manipulating a database. Command injection manipulates system commands by injecting malicious input into commands run by a web application, targeting the server rather than the database specifically. A buffer overflow attacks software vulnerabilities in which an attacker sends more data to a program than it can handle, potentially overwriting memory and leading to arbitrary code execution.

Each of these other attack types targets different layers of web application security, but SQL injection specifically focuses on the manipulation of database commands through SQL, which is why