How a Simple SQL Injection Bypassed SecureBank’s Login

Video Description

🔔 Stay ahead of cybersecurity insights – Subscribe & turn on notifications! In this video, we walk through the SecureBank challenge from the P3rf3ctR00t 2025 CTF — a classic example of how legacy code and forgotten endpoints can enable full application compromise. The challenge starts with a simple login page and a suspicious “connection error” message. Digging deeper reveals a vulnerable authentication flow that can be entirely bypassed using a basic SQL injection payload. Once inside, we intercept the backend response to recover an admin JWT, explore the available API endpoints, and identify an EJS-powered report generator vulnerable to server-side template injection (SSTI). With that, we escalate to remote code execution and grab the flag. This challenge demonstrates how subtle hints can lead to major pivots—from SQL injection to JWT manipulation and, ultimately, SSTI-based code execution. Takeaways: - Authentication bypass through classic SQL Injection on the login form - “Connection error” message hinted at backend DB issues and exposed the injection point - Intercepting the login response revealed an admin JWT bearer token - Using the token, unlock hidden API endpoints like /api/user and /admin - Admin panel used EJS templating, enabling Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) - SSTI led to remote code execution on the backend server - Demonstrates how legacy code and forgotten endpoints create critical attack paths Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:30 SecureBank 🎥 What Makes You Different Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdTw7mr-fqcjRlfC5u87y2kGI5PA-fhrC Follow us everywhere: 🌐 Website: https://mresecurity.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mresecurity 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/mresecure 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/mresecurity Republic of Hackers Discord: https://discord.gg/tyft6vM8bt Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. It demonstrates ethical hacking techniques to improve cybersecurity, and MRE Security is not responsible for how viewers choose to use this information. #cybersecurity #penetrationtesters #networksecurity #vulnerabilities #certifications #infosec #pentesting #certifications #cyber #security