Finding databases on the network
To begin the process of attacking databases, we first have to find them. To discover database servers exposed to the internet, you could scan for them; however, this is inefficient and time consuming. A better way is to employ a tool such as Shodan.
With the help of a number of filters, users of the search engine Shodan can look for various kinds of internet-connected servers. Shodan has also been referred to as the search engine for vulnerable or misconfigured servers, because not only does it classify the asset it found on the internet but will also often show the current patch level and vulnerabilities of that asset. Once you access the site, there is a section dedicated to databases. Clicking through this, you’ll see the different database types that can be explored. Included in the list are common databases such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, along with some newer database types such as MongoDB, Elastic, and Cassandra:
