Mysql connection security using PDO, am I doing right?

Question

It is safe to connect with Mysql only using the following form below?

<?php

function conectar() {

        $server = "localhost";
        $dbname = "banco";
        $dbuser = "usuario";
        $dbpass = "senha";

        try {

                $con = new PDO ("mysql:host=$server;dbname=$dbname", $dbuser, $dbpass);

        }catch(PDOException $e) {

                echo "ERRO GERADO" . $e->getMessage();
        }

        return $con;

}

?>

Can I use just like this in my applications or should I take some more care?

Answer 1

The problem of security is not in connection, it is in general use. The biggest problem that most applications have directly related to the database is the injection of SQL, then it is in the consultation that lives the danger.

There are a huge amount of security issues that may affect the database but are not in it itself. I’d say over 90% of the sites out there are vulnerable. Security is a serious, difficult issue that goes far beyond the basic knowledge of programming that most people have. I have 35 years of experience and I am bad at safety. There are those who spent little 35 days and think they can do something safe. Drown who thinks he can swim, who knows nothing.

It is obvious that the password exposed like this is insecure, should never have a password exposed like this. The correct thing is to always let the user type the password and carry it and manipulate it safely, which involves a lot to talk about here. But almost no one does this. In some cases you cannot demand this, it may be that a user does not login to be able to access the bank. An encryption would help a little in these cases.

Of course, the password thus exposed is only compromised if someone else enters the server, so the insecurity comes from another insecurity. It can occur by an outside intrusion, by local access that is relatively easy or even because you let someone access distractingly.

You need to ask yourself why you are using PDO. If you think it is safe, you are mistaken. It gives no security. It serves to abstract access to different databases, which no one does, so it’s usually just a useless layer for almost every case where it’s used.