MySQL and Sun websites hacked using SQL injection

MySQL.com, the official website of the database management system of the same name, was today subjected to an attack whereby hackers used SQL injection exploits to gain access to a complete list of usernames and passwords on the site.

News of the attack surfaced when the attackers posted details of the compromise on the Full Disclosure mailing list, publicly listing the contents of database tables used to store member and employee data, but also a small sample of user logins and password hashes.

Owned by Oracle, MySQL is used by millions of websites to store and deliver information, with some of the most popular online services and platforms including WordPress and Joomla utilising the software.

The attack was achieved using “blind SQL injection”, targeting MySQL.com, MySQL.fr, MySQL.de and MySQL.it, but also two Sun domains.

It appears that the attacks were not due to flaws in the MySQL software itself, but flaws in the implementation of their websites.