This hunts for pages already showing database errors—a strong indicator of vulnerability. inurl:search-results.php id= "search 5"
Example vulnerable code:
search-results.php?id=5&category=books
: The page source contains <!-- search 5 results for category 2 --> inside an HTML comment, revealing database schema hints. Example 3: University Library Catalog Search : inurl:search-results.php "search 5" site:.edu Inurl Search-results.php Search 5
User-agent: * Disallow: /search-results.php However, note that robots.txt is a public file; attackers will see it. It only stops polite bots. Include in the <head> of your search results pages: This hunts for pages already showing database errors—a
$id = $_GET['id']; $stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM products WHERE id = ?"); $stmt->execute([$id]); Scan your code for any echo "Search $id executed"; style debug lines. Remove them in production. 6. Google Search Console Use Google Search Console to request removal of any already-indexed sensitive search-results.php pages. Part 8: Automating the Dork – Tools and Scripts Manually typing the dork is fine for one-off research. For ongoing monitoring, security professionals use tools that automate Google dorking. Google Hacking Database (GHDB) The GHDB, maintained by Offensive Security (Exploit-DB), lists thousands of dorks including variations of inurl:search-results.php . You can browse or download them. Pagodo (Passive Google Dork) Pagodo automates Google dork queries while respecting Google’s rate limits. A sample command: It only stops polite bots
By systematically varying the number and phrase, you can map out application structures. If you are a web developer or system administrator, your search-results.php pages should never be indexed by Google with sensitive internal information. Here’s how to defend your site. 1. Robots.txt Disallow Add to your /robots.txt :