Which attack type can be prevented by guarding sensitive data during deserialization?

The attack type that can be prevented by guarding sensitive data during deserialization is SQL Injection Attacks.

When an application deserializes untrusted data, it may inadvertently allow an attacker to inject arbitrary code or manipulate input parameters that interact with the database. If the deserialized data is not properly validated or sanitized, it could lead to an SQL Injection vulnerability, where an attacker could execute malicious SQL statements to gain unauthorized access to the database, manipulate data, or escalate privileges.

Guarding sensitive data during deserialization involves implementing strict checks and validation mechanisms. This means ensuring that the data being deserialized is from a trusted source and follows the expected structure before processing it. By doing so, organizations can significantly mitigate the risk of SQL Injection, which relies on the application improperly handling untrusted input.

In contrast, cookie attacks can involve techniques such as session hijacking or cross-site scripting (XSS), which are not directly related to the deserialization process. DoS attacks aim to disrupt service availability and are not contingent upon data interpretation like SQL Injection is. Likewise, web service attacks could involve various vulnerabilities in the service but do not specifically correlate with deserialization issues related to SQL databases.