detect a connection string

[mehrnoosh]

hi how can i detect a connection string in a program? i want to detect a connection string in a program and find the database that the program connect to it. i am writing a program that when it add to other program with sql database it must detect the connection string and the database that the program connects to it... please help me...

[Christian Graus]

well, this sounds nasty, but, really what you want to do is load the whole program and it's config files as binary data, then go through it looking for something that matches a regex designed to find connection strings.

Christian Graus Please read this if you don't understand the answer I've given you "also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

[mehrnoosh]

i thik that your way is difficult... isnt there any way to answer this question? all the databases are sqlserver

[Christian Graus]

Well, you could use black magic I suppose. You have a binary file and you want to find connection strings in it. How do YOU propose to do that ? You MAY be able to write code that detects attempts to connect to a SQL Server, and find them that way. A more obvious approach is to look for SQL Servers that can be seen and then look to see what DBs they have, that would be a ton easier. It won't tell you which DB belongs to which program, obviously.

Christian Graus Please read this if you don't understand the answer I've given you "also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

[mehrnoosh]

how can load the whole program as binary data?

[Christian Graus]

File.ReadAllBytes. Getting those bytes into strings that you can then run a regex on, is another matter. I guess you need to look for sequences that look like a string. I think the whole thing is a disaster. I assume you're assuming that the string is not in a config file, seeing as you're trying to hack into an existing program.

Christian Graus Please read this if you don't understand the answer I've given you "also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

[mehrnoosh]

i cant undrestand you:confused: plese help me... i must write this program till this evening :( isnt there any other way?

[Christian Graus]

Why do you have to write it this evening ?

Christian Graus Please read this if you don't understand the answer I've given you "also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

[mehrnoosh]

i must deliver it to my boss. i am a programmer and its a piece of our projects:confused:

[Christian Graus]

Your boss gave you one night to write something, but when it's explained to you, you can't understand the explanation ? Your boss is an idiot. I've explained every possible way to do this that I can think of, in the plainest possible language. I don't know what else to say.

Christian Graus Please read this if you don't understand the answer I've given you "also I don't think "TranslateOneToTwoBillion OneHundredAndFortySevenMillion FourHundredAndEightyThreeThousand SixHundredAndFortySeven()" is a very good choice for a function name" - SpacixOne ( offering help to someone who really needed it ) ( spaces added for the benefit of people running at < 1280x1024 )

[mehrnoosh]

i can undrstand you but i want just to know is there any other way? you are right... i am sorry... thank you for your help my good friend anyway:rose: :)