CompTIA CompTIA Certifications CS0-003 Questions & Answers

• Question 81:

  A security analyst noticed the following entry on a web server log:

  Warning: fopen (http://127.0.0.1:16) : failed to open stream:

  Connection refused in /hj/var/www/showimage.php on line 7 Which of the following malicious activities was most likely attempted?

  A. XSS

  B. CSRF

  C. SSRF

  D. RCE

  Correct Answer: C

  The malicious activity that was most likely attempted is SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery). This is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerable web application to make requests to other resources on behalf of the web server. In this case, the attacker tried to use the fopen function to access the local loopback address (127.0.0.1) on port 16, which could be a service that is not intended to be exposed to the public. The connection was refused, indicating that the port was closed or filtered. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: S0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 2: Software and Application Security, page 66.

• Question 82:

  An organization would like to ensure its cloud infrastructure has a hardened configuration. A requirement is to create a server image that can be deployed with a secure template. Which of the following is the best resource to ensure secure configuration?

  A. CIS Benchmarks

  B. PCI DSS

  C. OWASP Top Ten

  D. ISO 27001

  Correct Answer: A

  The best resource to ensure secure configuration of cloud infrastructure is A. CIS Benchmarks. CIS Benchmarks are a set of prescriptive configuration recommendations for various technologies, including cloud providers, operating systems, network devices, and server software. They are developed by a global community of cybersecurity experts and help organizations protect their systems against threats more confidently1 PCI DSS, OWASP Top Ten, and ISO 27001 are also important standards for information security, but they are not focused on providing specific guidance for hardening cloud infrastructure. PCI DSS is a compliance scheme for payment card transactions, OWASP Top Ten is a list of common web application security risks, and ISO 27001 is a framework for establishing and maintaining an information security management system. These standards may have some relevance for cloud security, but they are not as comprehensive and detailed as CIS Benchmarks

• Question 83:

  During an internal code review, software called "ACE" was discovered to have a vulnerability that allows the execution of arbitrary code. The vulnerability is in a legacy, third-party vendor resource that is used by the ACE software. ACE is used worldwide and is essential for many businesses in this industry. Developers informed the Chief Information Security Officer that removal of the vulnerability will take time. Which of the following is the first action to take?

  A. Look for potential loCs in the company.

  B. Inform customers of the vulnerability.

  C. Remove the affected vendor resource from the ACE software.

  D. Develop a compensating control until the issue can be fixed permanently.

  Correct Answer: D

  A compensating control is an alternative measure that provides a similar level of protection as the original control, but is used when the original control is not feasible or cost-effective. In this case, the CISO should develop a compensating control to mitigate the risk of the vulnerability in the ACE software, such as implementing additional monitoring, firewall rules, or encryption, until the issue can be fixed permanently by the developers. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: S0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 5, page 197; CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 5, page 205.

• Question 84:

  A company has the following security requirements:

  1.

  No public IPs

  2.

  All data secured at rest

  3.

  No insecure ports/protocols

  After a cloud scan is completed, a security analyst receives reports that several misconfigurations are putting the company at risk. Given the following cloud scanner output:

  

  Which of the following should the analyst recommend be updated first to meet the security requirements and reduce risks?

  A. VM_PRD_DB

  B. VM_DEV_DB

  C. VM_DEV_Web02

  D. VM_PRD_Web01

  Correct Answer: A

• Question 85:

  Several critical bugs were identified during a vulnerability scan. The SLA risk requirement is that all critical vulnerabilities should be patched within 24 hours. After sending a notification to the asset owners, the patch cannot be deployed due to planned, routine system upgrades.

  Which of the following is the best method to remediate the bugs?

  A. Reschedule the upgrade and deploy the patch

  B. Request an exception to exclude the patch from installation

  C. Update the risk register and request a change to the SLA

  D. Notify the incident response team and rerun the vulnerability scan

  Correct Answer: A

  It ensures that the critical vulnerabilities are patched as soon as possible, thereby minimizing the risk of exploitation. Rescheduling the upgrade allows the patch to be deployed within the required timeframe, ensuring compliance with the 24hour patching policy. The other options either delay the patching or don't directly address the immediate need to remediate the vulnerabilities.

• Question 86:

  Which of the following techniques can help a SOC team to reduce the number of alerts related to the internal security activities that the analysts have to triage?

  A. Enrich the SIEM-ingested data to include all data required for triage.

  B. Schedule a task to disable alerting when vulnerability scans are executing.

  C. Filter all alarms in the SIEM with low severity.

  D. Add a SOAR rule to drop irrelevant and duplicated notifications.

  Correct Answer: D

• Question 87:

  While configuring a SIEM for an organization, a security analyst is having difficulty correlating incidents across different systems. Which of the following should be checked first?

  A. If appropriate logging levels are set

  B. NTP configuration on each system

  C. Behavioral correlation settings

  D. Data normalization rules

  Correct Answer: B

  The NTP configuration on each system should be checked first, as it is essential for ensuring accurate and consistent time stamps across different systems. NTP is the Network Time Protocol, which is used to synchronize the clocks of computers over a network. NTP uses a hierarchical system of time sources, where each level is assigned a stratum number. The most accurate time sources, such as atomic clocks or GPS receivers, are at stratum 0, and the devices that synchronize with them are at stratum 1, and so on. NTP clients can query multiple NTP servers and use algorithms to select the best time source and adjust their clocks accordingly1. If the NTP configuration is not consistent or correct on each system, the time stamps of the logs and events may differ, making it difficult to correlate incidents across different systems. This can affect the security analysis and correlation of events, as well as the compliance and auditing of the network23. References: How the Windows Time Service Works, Time Synchronization - All You Need To Know, What is SIEM? | Microsoft Security

• Question 88:

  Which of the following best describes the importance of implementing TAXII as part of a threat intelligence program?

  A. It provides a structured way to gain information about insider threats.

  B. It proactively facilitates real-time information sharing between the public and private sectors.

  C. It exchanges messages in the most cost-effective way and requires little maintenance once implemented.

  D. It is a semi-automated solution to gather threat intellbgence about competitors in the same sector.

  Correct Answer: B

  TAXII, or Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information, is a standard protocol for sharing cyber threat intelligence in a standardized, automated, and secure manner. TAXII defines how cyber threat information can be shared via services and message exchanges, such as discovery, collection management, inbox, and poll. TAXII is designed to support STIX, or Structured Threat Information eXpression, which is a standardized language for describing cyber threat information in a readable and consistent format. Together, STIX and TAXII form a framework for sharing and using threat intelligence, creating an open-source platform that allows users to search through records containing attack vectors details such as malicious IP addresses, malware signatures, and threat actors123. The importance of implementing TAXII as part of a threat intelligence program is that it proactively facilitates real-time information sharing between the public and private sectors. By using TAXII, organizations can exchange cyber threat information with various entities, such as security vendors, government agencies, industry associations, or trusted groups. TAXII enables different sharing models, such as hub and spoke, source/subscriber, or peer-to-peer, depending on the needs and preferences of the information producers and consumers. TAXII also supports different levels of access control, encryption, and authentication to ensure the security and privacy of the shared information123. By implementing TAXII as part of a threat intelligence program, organizations can benefit from the following advantages: They can receive timely and relevant information about the latest threats and vulnerabilities that may affect their systems or networks. They can leverage the collective knowledge and experience of other organizations that have faced similar or related threats. They can improve their situational awareness and threat detection capabilities by correlating and analyzing the shared information. They can enhance their incident response and mitigation strategies by applying the best practices and recommendations from the shared information. They can contribute to the overall improvement of cyber security by sharing their own insights and feedback with other organizations123. The other options are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the importance of implementing TAXII as part of a threat intelligence program. Option A is incorrect because TAXII does not provide a structured way to gain information about insider threats. Insider threats are malicious activities conducted by authorized users within an organization, such as employees, contractors, or partners. Insider threats can be detected by using various methods, such as user behavior analysis, data loss prevention, or anomaly detection. However, TAXII is not designed to collect or share information about insider threats specifically. TAXII is more focused on external threats that originate from outside sources, such as hackers, cybercriminals, or nation-states4. Option C is incorrect because TAXII does not exchange messages in the most cost- effective way and requires little maintenance once implemented. TAXII is a protocol that defines how messages are exchanged, but it does not specify the cost or maintenance of the exchange. The cost and maintenance of implementing TAXII depend on various factors, such as the type and number of services used, the volume and frequency of data exchanged, the security and reliability requirements of the exchange, and the availability and compatibility of existing tools and platforms. Implementing TAXII may require significant resources and efforts from both the information producers and consumers to ensure its functionality and performance5. Option D is incorrect because TAXII is not a semi-automated solution to gather threat intelligence about competitors in the same sector. TAXII is a fully automated solution that enables the exchange of threat intelligence among various entities across different sectors. TAXII does not target or collect information about specific competitors in the same sector. Rather, it aims to foster collaboration and cooperation among organizations that share common interests or goals in cyber security. Moreover, gathering threat intelligence about competitors in the same sector may raise ethical and legal issues that are beyond the scope of TAXII. References: 1 What is STIX/TAXII? | Cloudflare 2 What Are STIX/TAXII Standards? - Anomali Resources 3 What is STIX and TAXII? - EclecticIQ 4 What Is an Insider Threat? Definition and Examples | Varonis 5 Implementing STIX/TAXII - GitHub Pages

  [6] Cyber Threat Intelligence: Ethical Hacking vs Unethical Hacking | Infosec

• Question 89:

  The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has notified that a confidential trade secret has been compromised. Which of the following communication plans should the CEO initiate?

  A. Alert department managers to speak privately with affected staff.

  B. Schedule a press release to inform other service provider customers of the compromise.

  C. Disclose to all affected parties in the Chief Operating Officer for discussion and resolution.

  D. Verify legal notification requirements of PII and SPII in the legal and human resource departments.

  Correct Answer: D

  When a confidential trade secret has been compromised, it's crucial to first verify any legal notification requirements, especially if the compromised information includes Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Sensitive Personal Identifiable Information (SPII). This step ensures that the organization complies with relevant laws and regulations, which may mandate specific actions or disclosures. Involving the legal and human resources departments helps to ensure that the response is both legally compliant and appropriately managed from an internal perspective.

• Question 90:

  A security analyst reviews the following Arachni scan results for a web application that stores PII data:

  

  Which of the following should be remediated first?

  A. SQL injection

  B. RFI

  C. XSS

  D. Code injection

  Correct Answer: A

  SQL injection should be remediated first, as it is a high-severity vulnerability that can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database server and access, modify, or delete sensitive data, including PII. According to the Arachni scan results, there are two instances of SQL injection and three instances of blind SQL injection (two timing attacks and one differential analysis) in the web application. These vulnerabilities indicate that the web application does not properly validate or sanitize the user input before passing it to the database server, and thus exposes the database to malicious queries12. SQL injection can have serious consequences for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data and the system, and can also lead to further attacks, such as privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or remote code execution34. Therefore, SQL injection should be the highest priority for remediation, and the web application should implement input validation, parameterized queries, and least privilege principle to prevent SQL injection attacks5. References: Web application testing with Arachni | Infosec, How do I create a generated scan report for PDF in Arachni Web ..., Command line user interface ?Arachni/arachni Wiki ?GitHub, SQL Injection - OWASP, Blind SQL Injection - OWASP, SQL Injection Attack: What is it, and how to prevent it., SQL Injection Cheat Sheet and Tutorial | Veracode