A sophisticated attacker targets your web server with the intent to execute a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. His strategy involves a unique mixture of TCP SYN, UDP, and ICMP floods, using 'r' packets per second. Your server, reinforced with advanced security measures, can handle 'h' packets per second before it starts showing signs of strain. If 'r' surpasses 'h', it overwhelms the server, causing it to become unresponsive. In a peculiar pattern, the attacker selects 'r' as a composite number and 'h' as a prime number, making the attack detection more challenging. Considering 'r=2010' and different values for 'h', which of the following scenarios would potentially cause the server to falter?
A. h=1999 (prime): Despite the attacker's packet flood, the server can handle these requests, remaining responsive
B. h=2003 (prime): The server can manage more packets than the attacker is sending, hence it stays operational
C. h=1993 (prime): Despite being less than 'r', the server's prime number capacity keeps it barely operational, but the risk of falling is imminent
D. h=1987 (prime): The attacker's packet rate exceeds the server's capacity, causing potential unresponsiveness
Correct Answer: D
A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a type of cyberattack that aims to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by flooding it with traffic or requests that consume its resources. A TCP SYN flood attack is a type of DoS attack that exploits the TCP handshake process by sending a large number of SYN requests to the target server, without completing the connection. A UDP flood attack is a type of DoS attack that sends a large number of UDP packets to random ports on the target server, forcing it to check for the application listening at that port and reply with an ICMP packet. An ICMP flood attack is a type of DoS attack that sends a large number of ICMP packets, such as ping requests, to the target server, overwhelming its ICMP processing capacity. The attacker's strategy involves a unique mixture of TCP SYN, UDP, and ICMP floods, using `r' packets per second. The server can handle `h' packets per second before it starts showing signs of strain. If `r' surpasses `h', it overwhelms the server, causing it to become unresponsive. The attacker selects `r' as a composite number and `h' as a prime number, making the attack detection more challenging. This is because prime numbers are less predictable and more difficult to factorize than composite numbers, which may hinder the analysis of the attack pattern. Considering `r=2010' and different values for `h', the scenario that would potentially cause the server to falter is the one where `h=1987' (prime). This is because `r' is greater than `h' by 23 packets per second, which means the server cannot handle the incoming traffic and will eventually run out of resources. The other scenarios would not cause the server to falter, as `h' is either greater than or very close to `r', which means the server can either manage or barely cope with the incoming traffic. References: What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack? | Cloudflare Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack: Examples and Common Targets - Investopedia DDoS Attack Types: Glossary of Terms What is a Denial of Service (DoS) Attack? | Webopedia
Question 32:
In an intricate web application architecture using an Oracle database, you, as a security analyst, have identified a potential SQL Injection attack surface. The database consists of 'x' tables, each with y columns. Each table contains z1 records. An attacker, well-versed in SQLi techniques, crafts 'u' SQL payloads, each attempting to extract maximum data from the database. The payloads include UNION SELECT' statements and 'DBMS_XSLPPOCESSOR.READ2CLOB' to read sensitive files. The attacker aims to maximize the total data extracted E=xyz'u'. Assuming 'x=4\ y=2\ and varying z' and 'u\ which situation is likely to result in the highest extracted data volume?
A. z=400. u=4: The attacker constructs A SQLpayloads, each focusing on tables with 400 records, influencing all columns of all tables
B. z=550, u=Z Here, the attacker formulates 2 SQL payloads and directs them towards tables containing 550 records, impacting all columns and tables
C. z=600. u=2: The attacker devises 2 SQL payloads. each aimed at tables holding 600 records, affecting all columns across all tables
D. Az=500. u=3: The attacker creates 3 SQL payloads and targets tables with 500 records each, exploiting all columns and tables
Correct Answer: C
The total data extracted by the attacker is E=xyz'u', where x is the number of tables, y is the number of columns, z is the number of records, and u is the number of SQL payloads. To maximize E, the attacker would want to choose the highest values of z and u, while keeping x and y constant. Therefore, the situation where z=600 and u=2 would result in the highest extracted data volume, as E=42600*2=9600. The other situations would result in lower values of E, as shown below:
A: E=42400*4=12800
B: E=42550*2=8800
D: E=42500*3=12000
The attacker uses UNION SELECT statements to combine the results from different tables and columns, and DBMS_XSLPPOCESSOR.READ2CLOB to read sensitive files from the database server12. These techniques can bypass input
validation and pattern matching measures that are based on the application's responses3.
References:
1: DBMS_XSLPROCESSOR - Oracle Help Center
2: DBMS_XSLPROCESSOR.READ2CLOB Example Script to Read a file data into ...
3: Attack Surface Analysis - OWASP Cheat Sheet Series
Question 33:
Your company, SecureTech Inc., is planning to transmit some sensitive data over an unsecured communication channel. As a cyber security expert, you decide to use symmetric key encryption to protect the data. However, you must also ensure the secure exchange of the symmetric key. Which of the following protocols would you recommend to the team to achieve this?
A. Implementing SSL certificates on your company's web servers.
B. Applying the Diffie-Hellman protocol to exchange the symmetric key.
C. Switching all data transmission to the HTTPS protocol.
D. Utilizing SSH for secure remote logins to the servers.
Correct Answer: B
The protocol that you would recommend to the team to achieve the secure exchange of the symmetric key is the Diffie-Hellman protocol. The Diffie-Hellman protocol is a key agreement protocol that allows two or more parties to establish a
shared secret key over an unsecured communication channel, without having to exchange the key itself. The Diffie-Hellman protocol works as follows:
The parties agree on a large prime number p and a generator g, which are public parameters that can be known by anyone.
Each party chooses a random private number a or b, which are kept secret from anyone else.
Each party computes a public value A or B, by raising g to the power of a or b modulo p, i.e., A = g^a mod p and B = g^b mod p.
Each party sends their public value A or B to the other party over the unsecured channel.
Each party computes the shared secret key K, by raising the received public value to the power of their own private number modulo p, i.e., K = A^b mod p = B^a mod p. The parties can now use the shared secret key K to encrypt and decrypt
the data using a symmetric key encryption algorithm, such as AES or 3DES. The Diffie-Hellman protocol can ensure the secure exchange of the symmetric key because it relies on the mathematical difficulty of computing discrete logarithms,
which means that it is hard to find the private numbers a or b given the public values A or B, g, and p. Therefore, an attacker who intercepts the public values A or B cannot easily compute the shared secret key K, and thus cannot decrypt the
data encrypted with K12. The other options are not as appropriate as option B for the following reasons:
A. Implementing SSL certificates on your company's web servers: This option is not relevant because SSL certificates are not used to exchange symmetric keys, but to authenticate the identity of the web servers and to establish a secure connection using public key encryption. SSL certificates are digital certificates that contain the public key and the identity information of the web server, and are issued and signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA). When a client connects to a web server, the web server sends its SSL certificate to the client, who verifies it with the CA. If the verification is successful, the client and the web server use the public key in the certificate to exchange a symmetric key, which is then used to encrypt and decrypt the data. However, this option does not address the scenario of transmitting data over an unsecured communication channel, which may not involve web servers or SSL certificates. C. Switching all data transmission to the HTTPS protocol: This option is not sufficient because HTTPS protocol is not a protocol for exchanging symmetric keys, but a protocol for securing web traffic using SSL or TLS encryption. HTTPS protocol is a combination of HTTP protocol and SSL or TLS protocol, which means that it uses HTTP for the application layer communication and SSL or TLS for the transport layer encryption. When a client requests a web page from a web server using HTTPS protocol, the client and the web server establish a secure connection using SSL or TLS protocol, which involves the exchange of SSL certificates and a symmetric key, as explained in option A. Then, the client and the web server use the symmetric key to encrypt and decrypt the HTTP data. However, this option does not address the scenario of transmitting data over an unsecured communication channel, which may not involve web servers or HTTPS protocol5 . D. Utilizing SSH for secure remote logins to the servers: This option is not applicable because SSH is not a protocol for exchanging symmetric keys, but a protocol for securing remote access to servers using public key authentication and encryption. SSH is a protocol that allows a client to securely connect to a server and execute commands or transfer files over an encrypted channel. SSH uses public key cryptography to authenticate the identity of the server and the client, and to exchange a symmetric key, which is then used to encrypt and decrypt the data. However, this option does not address the scenario of transmitting data over an unsecured communication channel, which may not involve remote logins or SSH protocol . References:
1: Diffieellman key exchange - Wikipedia
2: Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
3: SSL Certificate - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
4: What is an SSL Certificate? | DigiCert.com
5: HTTPS - Wikipedia : What is HTTPS? | Cloudflare : SSH (Secure Shell) - Wikipedia : What is SSH? | SSH.COM
Question 34:
You are an ethical hacker tasked with conducting an enumeration of a company's network. Given a Windows system with NetBIOS enabled, port 139 open, and file and printer sharing active, you are about to run some nbtstat commands to enumerate NetBIOS names. The company uses |Pv6 for its network. Which of the following actions should you take next?
A. Use nbtstat -c to get the contents of the NetBIOS name cache
B. use nbtstat -a followed by the IPv6 address of the target machine
C. Utilize Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) for NetBIOS enumeration
D. Switch to an enumeration tool that supports IPv6
Correct Answer: D
The nbtstat command is a Windows utility that displays NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocol statistics, NetBIOS name tables, and the NetBIOS name cache. However, the nbtstat command does not support IPv6 addresses, which are the standard format for the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Therefore, using the nbtstat command with IPv6 addresses will result in an error message or no output. To enumerate NetBIOS names on a network that uses IPv6, you should switch to an enumeration tool that supports IPv6, such as Nmap, which is a network scanning and security auditing tool. Nmap has a scripting engine (NSE) that allows users to write and execute scripts for various network tasks, including NetBIOS enumeration. Nmap can also detect the operating system, services, and vulnerabilities of the target machines, regardless of the IP version they use. References: Nbtstat Command - Computer Hope Nbtstat CMD: Windows Network Command Line Prompt [Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) Documentation]
Question 35:
During a reconnaissance mission, an ethical hacker uses Maltego, a popular footprinting tool, to collect information about a target organization. The information includes the target's Internet infrastructure details (domains, DNS names,
Netblocks, IP address information).
The hacker decides to use social engineering techniques to gain further information. Which of the following would be the least likely method of social engineering to yield beneficial information based on the data collected?
A. Shoulder surfing to observe sensitive credentials input on the target's computers
B. Impersonating an ISP technical support agent to trick the target into providing further network details
C. Dumpster diving in the target company's trash bins for valuable printouts
D. Eavesdropping on internal corporate conversations to understand key topics
Correct Answer: A
Shoulder surfing is a social engineering technique that involves looking over someone's shoulder to observe sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs, or credit card numbers, that they enter on their computer, phone, or ATM. It is the least likely method of social engineering to yield beneficial information based on the data collected by Maltego, because it requires physical proximity and access to the target's devices, which may not be feasible or safe for the hacker. Moreover, shoulder surfing does not leverage the information obtained by Maltego, such as domains, DNS names, Netblocks, or IP addresses, which are more relevant for network-based attacks. The other options are more likely to yield beneficial information based on the data collected by Maltego, because they involve exploiting the target's trust, curiosity, or negligence, and using the information obtained by Maltego to craft convincing scenarios or messages. Impersonating an ISP technical support agent to trick the target into providing further network details is a form of pretexting, where the hacker creates a false identity and scenario to obtain information or access from the target. Dumpster diving in the target company's trash bins for valuable printouts is a technique that relies on the target's negligence or lack of proper disposal of sensitive documents, such as network diagrams, passwords, or confidential reports. Eavesdropping on internal corporate conversations to understand key topics is a technique that exploits the target's curiosity or lack of awareness, and allows the hacker to gather information about the target's projects, plans, or problems, which can be used for further attacks or extortion. References: Social Engineering: Definition and 5 Attack Types How to Use Maltego Transforms to Map Network Infrastructure: An In-Depth Guide Social engineering: Definition, examples, and techniques
Question 36:
As a security analyst for Sky Secure Inc., you are working with a client that uses a multi- cloud strategy, utilizing services from several cloud providers. The client wants to implement a system that will provide unified security management across all their cloud platforms. They need a solution that allows them to consistently enforce security policies, identify and respond to threats, and maintain visibility of all their cloud resources. Which of the following should you recommend as the best solution?
A. Use a hardware-based firewall to secure all cloud resources.
B. implement separate security management tools for each cloud platform.
C. Use a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB).
D. Rely on the built-in security features of each cloud platform.
Correct Answer: C
A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) is a security policy enforcement point, either on-premises or in the cloud, that administers an organization's enterprise security policies when users attempt to access its cloud-based resources. A CASB can provide unified security management across multiple cloud platforms, as it can monitor cloud activity, enforce security policies, identify and respond to threats, and maintain visibility of all cloud resources. A CASB can also integrate with other security tools, such as data loss prevention (DLP), encryption, malware detection, and identity and access management (IAM), to enhance the security posture of the organization. The other options are not as effective or feasible as using a CASB. Using a hardware- based firewall to secure all cloud resources may not be compatible with the dynamic and scalable nature of the cloud, as it may introduce latency, complexity, and cost. Implementing separate security management tools for each cloud platform may create inconsistency, inefficiency, and confusion, as each tool may have different features, interfaces, and configurations. Relying on the built-in security features of each cloud platform may not be sufficient or comprehensive, as each platform may have different levels of security, compliance, and functionality. References: What Is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)? | Microsoft What Is a CASB? - Cloud Access Security Broker - Cisco What is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)?
Question 37:
In a large organization, a network security analyst discovered a series of packet captures that seem unusual. The network operates on a switched Ethernet environment. The security team suspects that an attacker might be using a sniffer
tool.
Which technique could the attacker be using to successfully carry out this attack, considering the switched nature of the network?
A. The attacker might be compromising physical security to plug into the network directly
B. The attacker might be implementing MAC flooding to overwhelm the switch's memory
C. The attacker is probably using a Trojan horse with in-built sniffing capability
D. The attacker might be using passive sniffing, as it provides significant stealth advantages
Correct Answer: B
A sniffer tool is a software or hardware device that can capture and analyze network traffic. In a switched Ethernet environment, where each port on a switch is connected to a single device, a sniffer tool can only see the traffic that is destined for or originated from the device it is attached to. However, an attacker can use various techniques to overcome this limitation and sniff the traffic of other devices on the same network. One of these techniques is MAC flooding, which exploits the finite memory of the switch's MAC address table. The attacker sends a large number of frames with different source MAC addresses to the switch, which fills up the MAC address table and causes the switch to enter a fail-open mode, where it broadcasts all incoming frames to all ports, regardless of the destination MAC address. This way, the attacker can see all the traffic on the network and capture it with a sniffer tool. The other options are less likely or less effective techniques for sniffing a switched Ethernet network. Compromising physical security to plug into the network directly may allow the attacker to sniff the traffic of the device they are connected to, but not the traffic of other devices on the network. Using a Trojan horse with in-built sniffing capability may allow the attacker to sniff the traffic of the infected device, but not the traffic of other devices on the network, unless the Trojan horse also performs MAC flooding or other techniques to bypass the switch. Using passive sniffing, which involves listening to the network traffic without sending any packets, may provide significant stealth advantages, but it does not help the attacker to see the traffic of other devices on the network, unless the switch is already in fail-open mode or the attacker uses other techniques to induce it. References: Sniffing: A Beginners Guide In 4 Important Points How can I run a packet sniffer on a Router or Switch Detection of Sniffers in an Ethernet Network
Question 38:
You are a cybersecurity consultant for a global organization. The organization has adopted a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)policy, but they have recently experienced a phishing incident where an employee's device was compromised. In the investigation, you discovered that the phishing attack occurred through a third-party email app that the employee had installed. Given the need to balance security and user autonomy under the BYOD policy, how should the organization mitigate the risk of such incidents? Moreover, consider a measure that would prevent similar attacks without overly restricting the use of personal devices.
A. Provide employees with corporate-owned devices for work-related tasks.
B. Implement a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non- approved applications.
C. Require all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access.
D. Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training, focusing on phishing attacks.
Correct Answer: D
The best measure to prevent similar attacks without overly restricting the use of personal devices is to conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training, focusing on phishing attacks. Cybersecurity awareness training is a process of educating and empowering employees on the best practices and behaviors to protect themselves and the organization from cyber threats, such as phishing, malware, ransomware, or data breaches. Cybersecurity awareness training can help the organization mitigate the risk of phishing incidents by providing the following benefits: It can increase the knowledge and skills of employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails, messages, or links, such as by checking the sender, the subject, the content, the attachments, and the URL of the message, and by verifying the legitimacy and authenticity of the message before responding or clicking. It can enhance the attitude and culture of employees on the importance and responsibility of cybersecurity, such as by encouraging them to report any suspicious or malicious activity, to follow the security policies and guidelines, and to seek help or guidance when in doubt or trouble. It can reduce the human error and negligence that are often the main causes of phishing incidents, such as by reminding employees to update their devices and applications, to use strong and unique passwords, to enable multi-factor authentication, and to backup their data regularly. The other options are not as optimal as option D for the following reasons:
A. Provide employees with corporate-owned devices for work-related tasks: This option is not feasible because it contradicts the BYOD policy, which allows employees to use their personal devices for work-related tasks. Providing employees with corporate-owned devices would require the organization to incur additional costs and resources, such as purchasing, maintaining, and securing the devices, as well as training and supporting the employees on how to use them. Moreover, providing employees with corporate-owned devices would not necessarily prevent phishing incidents, as the devices could still be compromised by phishing emails, messages, or links, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the devices, which may limit the user autonomy and productivity.
B. Implement a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non-approved applications: This option is not desirable because it violates the user autonomy and privacy under the BYOD policy, which allows employees to use their personal devices for both personal and professional purposes. Implementing a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non- approved applications would require the organization to monitor and control the devices of the employees, which may raise legal and ethical issues, such as data ownership, consent, and compliance. Furthermore, implementing a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non-approved applications would not completely prevent phishing incidents, as the employees could still receive phishing emails, messages, or links through the approved applications, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the applications, which may affect the user experience and functionality.
C. Require all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access: This option is not sufficient because it does not address the root cause of phishing incidents, which is the human factor. Requiring all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access would provide the organization with some benefits, such as encrypting the network traffic, hiding the IP address, and bypassing geo-restrictions. However, requiring all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access would not prevent phishing incidents, as the employees could still fall victim to phishing emails, messages, or links that lure them to malicious websites or applications, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the VPN, which may affect the network performance and reliability. References:
1: What is Cybersecurity Awareness Training? | Definition, Benefits and Best Practices | Kaspersky
2: How to Prevent Phishing Attacks with Security Awareness Training | Infosec
3: BYOD vs. Corporate-Owned Devices: Pros and Cons | Bitglass
4: Mobile Device Management (MDM) | OWASP Foundation
5: What is a VPN and why do you need one? Everything you need to know | ZDNet
Question 39:
An ethical hacker is testing the security of a website's database system against SQL Injection attacks. They discover that the IDS has a strong signature detection mechanism to detect typical SQL injection patterns. Which evasion technique can be most effectively used to bypass the IDS signature detection while performing a SQL Injection attack?
A. Implement case variation by altering the case of SQL statements
B. Employ IP fragmentation to obscure the attack payload
C. Use Hex encoding to represent the SQL query string
D. Leverage string concatenation to break identifiable keywords
Correct Answer: D
The most effective evasion technique to bypass the IDS signature detection while performing a SQL Injection attack is to leverage string concatenation to break identifiable keywords. This technique involves splitting SQL keywords or
operators into smaller parts and joining them with string concatenation operators, such as `+' or `||'. This way, the SQL query can still be executed by the database engine, but the IDS cannot recognize the keywords or operators as malicious,
as they are hidden within strings. For example, the hacker could replace the keyword `OR' with `O'||`R' or `O'+`R' in the SQL query, and the IDS would not be able to match the signature of a typical SQL injection pattern.
The other options are not as effective as option D for the following reasons:
A. Implement case variation by altering the case of SQL statements: This option is not effective because most SQL engines and IDS systems are case-insensitive, meaning that they treat SQL keywords and operators the same regardless of their case. Therefore, altering the case of SQL statements would not help evade the IDS signature detection, as the IDS would still be able to match the signature of a typical SQL injection pattern. B. Employ IP fragmentation to obscure the attack payload: This option is not applicable because IP fragmentation is a network-level technique that splits IP packets into smaller fragments to fit the maximum transmission unit (MTU) of the network. IP fragmentation does not affect the content or structure of the SQL query, and it does not help evade the IDS signature detection, as the IDS would still be able to reassemble the fragments and match the signature of a typical SQL injection pattern. C. Use Hex encoding to represent the SQL query string: This option is not feasible because Hex encoding is a method of representing binary data in hexadecimal format, such as `0x41' for `A'. Hex encoding does not work for SQL queries, as the SQL engine would not be able to interpret the hexadecimal values as valid SQL syntax. Moreover, Hex encoding would not help evade the IDS signature detection, as the IDS would still be able to decode the hexadecimal values and match the signature of a typical SQL injection pattern. References:
1: SQL Injection Evasion Detection - F5
2: Mastering SQL Injection with SQLmap: A Comprehensive Evasion Techniques Cheatsheet
3: SQL Injection Prevention - OWASP Cheat Sheet Series
4: IP Fragmentation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics : Hex Encoding - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
Question 40:
A security analyst is preparing to analyze a potentially malicious program believed to have infiltrated an organization's network. To ensure the safety and integrity of the production environment, the analyst decided to use a sheep dip computer for the analysis. Before initiating the analysis, what key step should the analyst take?
A. Run the potentially malicious program on the sheep dip computer to determine its behavior
B. Store the potentially malicious program on an external medium, such as a CD-ROM
C. Connect the sheep dip computer to the organization's internal network
D. install the potentially malicious program on the sheep dip computer
Correct Answer: B
A sheep dip computer is a dedicated device that is used to test inbound files or physical media for viruses, malware, or other harmful content, before they are allowed to be used with other computers. The term sheep dip comes from a method of preventing the spread of parasites in a flock of sheep by dipping the new animals that farmers are adding to the flock in a trough of pesticide. A sheep dip computer is isolated from the organization's network and has port monitors, file monitors, network monitors, and antivirus software installed. Before initiating the analysis of a potentially malicious program, the analyst should store the program on an external medium, such as a CD-ROM, and then insert it into the sheep dip computer. This way, the analyst can prevent the program from infecting other devices or spreading over the network, and can safely analyze its behavior and characteristics. The other options are not correct steps to take before initiating the analysis. Running the potentially malicious program on the sheep dip computer may cause irreversible damage to the device or compromise its security. Connecting the sheep dip computer to the organization's internal network may expose the network to the risk of infection or attack. Installing the potentially malicious program on the sheep dip computer may not be possible or advisable, as the program may require certain dependencies or permissions that the sheep dip computer does not have or allow. References: Sheep dip (computing) What Does `Sheep Dip' Mean in Cyber Security? Malware Analysis What is a Sheepdip?
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