SQL Server fingerprinting can be a time consuming process. It involves a lot many trial and error methods to fingerprint the exact SQL Server version. Intentionally inserting an invalid input to obtain a typical error message or using certain alphabets that are unique for a certain server are two of the ways to possibly fingerprint a server.
We have featured some other database-fingerprinting tools before such as SQLmap the automated SQL injection tool, which also carries out fingerprinting and the Microsoft SQL Server Fingerprint Tool aimed specifically at MS-SQL installs similar to ESF.
The Exploit Next Generation SQL Fingerprint (ESF) is a powerful tool which performs version fingerprinting for:
- Microsoft SQL Server 2000;
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005; and
- Microsoft SQL Server 2008.
The Exploit Next Generation SQL Fingerprint uses well-known techniques based on several public tools that are capable to identify the Microsoft SQL Server version (such as: SQLping and SQLver), but, instead of showing only the “raw version” (i.e., Microsoft SQL Version 10.00.2746), the Exploit Next Generation SQL Fingerprint shows the mapped Microsoft SQL Server version (i.e., Microsoft SQL 2008 SP1 (CU5)).
The strengths of Exploit Next Generation SQL Fingerprint are:
- It uses both TCP and UDP protocols to determine the Microsoft SQL Server version, making it much more reliable than any other public or commercial tool.
- It is capable to identify multiple Microsoft SQL Server instances and their TCP communication ports.
- It does not require any authentication method to identify the Microsoft SQL Server version.
- It uses probabilistic algorithm to identify the Microsoft SQL Server version, combining both TCP and UDP fingerprint.
The Exploit Next Generation SQL Fingerprint can also be used to identify vulnerable/unpatched Microsoft SQL Server version, and it is based on some techniques used by Exploit Next Generation Compliance Methodology to perform automated penetration testing.
SQL Server fingerprinting is necessary before performing any kind of penetration testing on database server and if you find its Microsoft SQL Server then this tool will surely help identifying granular level findings to further exploit database.
You can download ESF v1.10 here:
Or read more here.