Web Hacking: Attacks and Defense

Chapter 2. Web and Database Servers

	To rise from error to truth is rare and beautiful.
	--Victor Hugo (1802–1885), French poet, novelist, playwright, essayist.

Introduction

Web and database servers are the heart and brains of the Internet organism. Every beat comes from a Web server and every memory storage and recall action goes to and comes from a database. Thus both components are crucial to a robust Internet application and that's precisely why they are favorite playgrounds for hackers. To secure your assets, you must understand the underlying technologies that handcuff your Web applications and, in some cases, predetermine their susceptibility to hacking.

In this chapter we provide a high-level review of the two most used Web servers in the ...