Configuring ZAP for SQL Injection Detection

Optimal SQL injection detection begins with proper scan policy configuration. Navigate to Analyse > Scan Policy Manager and create a dedicated SQL injection testing policy. Enable all SQL injection-related rules: "SQL Injection," "SQL Injection - MySQL," "SQL Injection - Oracle," "SQL Injection - PostgreSQL," and others. Set these rules to HIGH strength for comprehensive testing, though this significantly increases scan time.

Parameter handling configuration affects SQL injection detection accuracy. ZAP's default settings work well for standard applications, but complex scenarios benefit from tuning. Enable "Handle Anti-CSRF tokens" for applications using CSRF protection. Configure parameter value types to ensure ZAP sends appropriate data—numeric values for ID parameters, email formats for email fields. This configuration prevents application errors that might mask SQL injection vulnerabilities.

# Recommended SQL Injection Scan Policy Settings
SQL Injection: Enabled, Strength: High, Threshold: Medium
SQL Injection - MySQL: Enabled, Strength: High
SQL Injection - Oracle: Enabled, Strength: Medium
SQL Injection - PostgreSQL: Enabled, Strength: High
SQL Injection - SQLite: Enabled, Strength: Medium
Blind SQL Injection: Enabled, Strength: Medium
Time-Based SQL Injection: Enabled, Strength: Low

Authentication context configuration ensures comprehensive testing of protected functionality. Many SQL injection vulnerabilities exist only in authenticated areas of applications. Configure ZAP contexts with valid credentials and session management rules. Test multiple privilege levels as different user roles might access different queries with varying injection possibilities. Include both authenticated and unauthenticated testing for complete coverage.