How to secure SQL database access and prevent SQL injection attacks in Go?

There are several best practices to secure SQL database access and prevent SQL injection attacks in Go:

Use Prepared Statements: Prepared statements ensure that the SQL query syntax is precompiled before execution. This prevents malicious SQL injection by binding input parameters to the query separately.

stmt, err := db.Prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?")
rows, err := stmt.Query(userID)
defer stmt.Close()

Parameterized Queries: Always use parameterized queries rather than directly concatenating user-supplied input into the SQL query. This helps to separate data from SQL commands.

rows, err := db.Query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = ?", userName)

Input Validation and Sanitization: Validate and sanitize the user input before passing it as an argument to the SQL query. Use proper input validation techniques such as regular expressions, whitelist validation, and validation libraries.

import "github.com/asaskevich/govalidator"

sanitizeName := func(name string) string {
    return govalidator.EscapeSQL(name)
}

userName := sanitizeName(userProvidedInput)
rows, err := db.Query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE name = ?", userName)

Least Privilege Principle: Create a dedicated user with limited database privileges for your Go application. The user should only have the necessary permissions required to perform its tasks, reducing the impact of any potential SQL injection attacks.
Database Driver Support: Ensure you are using a well-maintained and secure SQL database driver for Go, such as "database/sql" or a third-party library with good security practices.
Avoid Dynamic SQL: Whenever possible, avoid constructing dynamic SQL queries using string concatenation. Use ORMs (Object Relational Mappers) like GORM, SQLBoiler, or Storm for database interaction, as they provide additional layers of security.

type User struct {
    ID   int64
    Name string
    // ...
}

var user User
db.Find(&user, "name = ?", userName)

Secure Configuration: Ensure that database connection strings, credentials, and other sensitive information are securely stored and encrypted in the Go application's configuration files or environment variables.

db, err := sql.Open("mysql", "user:password@tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/database")

Regular Updates: Stay updated with the latest security patches for your database, Go language, and any third-party libraries you are using. Regularly update your Go modules to stay current with security fixes.

Remember, incorporating these practices greatly reduces the risk of SQL injection attacks, but it's important to remain vigilant and follow security best practices throughout your codebase.