If the server returns an SQL error (e.g., “You have an error in your SQL syntax” ), the site is vulnerable.
include($_GET['id'] . ".php"); An attacker could input: inurl php id 1
http://example.com/page.php?id=../../../../etc/passwd This could expose sensitive system files. Even without SQL injection, predictable IDs ( id=1 , id=2 , id=3 ) allow attackers to access other users' data by simply changing the number. If access control is missing, an attacker can view, edit, or delete records belonging to other users. 5. Google Hacking Database (GHDB) Integration The string inurl:php id 1 is entry #1 in the Google Hacking Database (GHDB) created by Johnny Long. It is the starter dork for a reason: it uncovers low-hanging fruit on a massive scale. Part 3: How Attackers Use This Keyword (A Step-by-Step Scenario) Let’s walk through a realistic, ethical hacking scenario to illustrate the workflow. If the server returns an SQL error (e
http://example.com/products.php?id=1 UNION SELECT username, password FROM users If successful, they can dump your entire database—user emails, passwords, credit card info, private messages—in minutes. Even if the page doesn't display database errors, attackers can use boolean or time-based techniques to extract data one character at a time. Tools like sqlmap automate this completely. 3. Path Traversal (Directory Traversal) Some scripts use the id parameter to include a file. For example: Even without SQL injection, predictable IDs ( id=1
$id = $_GET['id']; $query = "SELECT * FROM products WHERE id = $id"; An attacker doesn't have to send id=1 . They can send:
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM products WHERE id = :id"); $stmt->execute(['id' => $_GET['id']]);
Here, products.php is the script, id is the parameter, and 1 is the value. The script likely fetches product number 1 from a database. When you search inurl:php id 1 on Google, you are asking Google to show you every indexed URL that contains the string php?id=1 . This search typically returns millions of results, ranging from legitimate e-commerce sites to abandoned test servers.