Input Validation / Perl Code Injection

Description

Perl Code Injection is a type of vulnerability that occurs when user input is not properly validated and is then used as part of a command or a programming language statement. This vulnerability is classified as CWE-94 Input Validation and is described in the OWASP Testing Guide, V4 as an injection vulnerability. The injection can lead to the execution of malicious code, allowing an attacker to gain access to the web application, or even the web server itself.

Risk

As this vulnerability can lead to malicious code execution, the risk associated with Perl Code Injection is considered to be high. An attacker could gain access to the web application and cause severe damage, such as data theft, data manipulation, or even disruption of the services provided by the web application.

Solution

The best way to protect against this vulnerability is to validate all user input before it is used. This can be done with input filtering, which involves stripping out any potentially malicious characters or code snippets before they are used. Additionally, any user-supplied data should be validated to ensure that it meets the standards of the application.