Demonstrate SQL injection in PL/pgSQL

Question

I have this function in plpgsql:

CREATE OR REPLACE function login_v(em varchar, passwd varchar)
  RETURNS users AS $$
DECLARE
   cu users;
BEGIN
   SELECT * into cu
   FROM users where email = em 
   AND encrypted_password = crypt(passwd, encrypted_password);

   return cu;
END
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

When I provide an input like this: select login_v('[email protected]'' OR 1=1;--','la la la');, I think my method should return the user with email [email protected]. What Am I doing wrong?

Performing SQL injection is necessary here to demonstrate the concept for an exercise, but I am an SQL injection and plpgsql boob. :|

Answer 1

SQL queries in PL/pgSQL are planned like prepared statements. As long as you only pass values like you do, SQL injection is generally impossible. Details:

• SQL injection in Postgres functions vs prepared queries

Use dynamic SQL with EXECUTE and without proper parameter handling to actually demonstrate SQL injection.

Like (this is how not to do it!):

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION login_v(em varchar, passwd varchar)
  RETURNS SETOF users
  LANGUAGE plpgsql AS
$func$
BEGIN
   RETURN QUERY EXECUTE
      'SELECT *
       FROM   users
       WHERE  email = $1
       AND    encrypted_password = crypt(''' || passwd || ''', encrypted_password)'
   USING em;
END
$func$;

The first variable em is properly passed with the USING clause as value and thus cannot be abused for SQL injection.

But the second variable passwd is concatenated without quoting properly. Thus, user input can be converted to SQL code. SQL injection.

Never do this! Except when demonstrating how not to do it.

Similar mischief is possible when concatenating SQL strings in the client improperly.