CompTIA CompTIA Certifications PT0-003 Questions & Answers

• Question 111:

  Which of the following describes the process of determining why a vulnerability scanner is not providing results?

  A. Root cause analysis

  B. Secure distribution

  C. Peer review

  D. Goal reprioritization

  Correct Answer: A

  Root cause analysis involves identifying the underlying reasons why a problem is occurring. In the context of a vulnerability scanner not providing results, performing a root cause analysis would help determine why the scanner is failing to

  deliver the expected output. Here's why option A is correct:

  Root Cause Analysis: This is a systematic process used to identify the fundamental reasons for a problem. It involves investigating various potential causes and pinpointing the exact issue that is preventing the vulnerability scanner from

  working correctly.

  Secure Distribution: This refers to the secure delivery and distribution of software or updates, which is not relevant to troubleshooting a vulnerability scanner. Peer Review: This involves evaluating work by others in the same field to ensure

  quality and accuracy, but it is not directly related to identifying why a tool is malfunctioning.

  Goal Reprioritization: This involves changing the priorities of goals within a project, which does not address the technical issue of the scanner not working.

  References from Pentest:

  Horizontall HTB: Demonstrates the process of troubleshooting and identifying issues with tools and their configurations to ensure they work correctly. Writeup HTB: Emphasizes the importance of thorough analysis to understand why certain

  security tools may fail during an assessment.

• Question 112:

  A penetration tester is getting ready to conduct a vulnerability scan as part of the testing process. The tester will evaluate an environment that consists of a container orchestration cluster. Which of the following tools should the tester use to evaluate the cluster?

  A. Trivy

  B. Nessus

  C. Grype

  D. Kube-hunter

  Correct Answer: D

  Evaluating a container orchestration cluster, such as Kubernetes, requires specialized tools designed to assess the security and configuration of container environments. Here's an analysis of each tool and why Kube-hunter is the best choice:

  Trivy (Option A):

  Nessus (Option B):

  Grype (Option C):

  Kube-hunter (Answer: D):

  Conclusion: Kube-hunter is the most appropriate tool for evaluating a container orchestration cluster, such as Kubernetes, due to its specialized focus on identifying security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations specific to such environments.

• Question 113:

  A penetration tester presents the following findings to stakeholders:

  Control | Number of findings | Risk | Notes

  Encryption | 1 | Low | Weak algorithm noted

  Patching | 8 | Medium | Unsupported systems

  System hardening | 2 | Low | Baseline drift observed

  Secure SDLC | 10 | High | Libraries have vulnerabilities

  Password policy | 0 | Low | No exceptions noted

  Based on the findings, which of the following recommendations should the tester make? (Select two).

  A. Develop a secure encryption algorithm.

  B. Deploy an asset management system.

  C. Write an SDLC policy.

  D. Implement an SCA tool.

  E. Obtain the latest library version.

  F. Patch the libraries.

  Correct Answer: DE

  Based on the findings, the focus should be on addressing vulnerabilities in libraries and ensuring their security. Here's why options D and E are correct:

  Implement an SCA Tool:

  Obtain the Latest Library Version:

  Other Options Analysis:

  Develop a Secure Encryption Algorithm: This is not practical or necessary given that the issue is with the use of a weak algorithm, not the need to develop a new one. Deploy an Asset Management System: While useful, this is not directly

  related to the identified high-risk issue of vulnerable libraries. Write an SDLC Policy: While helpful, the more immediate and effective actions involve implementing tools and processes to manage and update libraries.

  References from Pentest:

  Horizontall HTB: Demonstrates the importance of managing software dependencies and using tools to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in libraries. Writeup HTB: Highlights the need for keeping libraries updated to ensure application

  security and mitigate risks.

  Conclusion:

  Options D and E, implementing an SCA tool and obtaining the latest library version, are the most appropriate recommendations to address the high-risk finding related to vulnerable libraries in the Secure SDLC process.

• Question 114:

  A penetration tester needs to confirm the version number of a client's web application server. Which of the following techniques should the penetration tester use?

  A. SSL certificate inspection

  B. URL spidering

  C. Banner grabbing

  D. Directory brute forcing

  Correct Answer: C

  Banner grabbing is a technique used to gather information about a service running on an open port, which often includes the version number of the application or server. Here's why banner grabbing is the correct answer:

  Banner Grabbing: It involves connecting to a service and reading the welcome banner or response, which typically includes version information. This is a direct method to identify the version number of a web application server. SSL Certificate

  Inspection: While it can provide information about the server, it is not reliable for identifying specific application versions. URL Spidering: This is used for discovering URLs and resources within a web application, not for version identification.

  Directory Brute Forcing: This is used to discover hidden directories and files, not for identifying version information.

  References from Pentest:

  Luke HTB: Shows how banner grabbing can be used to identify the versions of services running on a server.

  Writeup HTB: Demonstrates the importance of gathering version information through techniques like banner grabbing during enumeration phases.

  Conclusion:

  Option C, banner grabbing, is the most appropriate technique for confirming the version number of a web application server.

• Question 115:

  A penetration tester performs an assessment on the target company's Kubernetes cluster using kube-hunter. Which of the following types of vulnerabilities could be detected with the tool?

  A. Network configuration errors in Kubernetes services

  B. Weaknesses and misconfigurations in the Kubernetes cluster

  C. Application deployment issues in Kubernetes

  D. Security vulnerabilities specific to Docker containers

  Correct Answer: B

  kube-hunter is a tool designed to perform security assessments on Kubernetes clusters. It identifies various vulnerabilities, focusing on weaknesses and misconfigurations. Here's why option B is correct:

  Kube-hunter: It scans Kubernetes clusters to identify security issues, such as misconfigurations, insecure settings, and potential attack vectors. Network Configuration Errors: While kube-hunter might identify some network- related issues, its

  primary focus is on Kubernetes-specific vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

  Application Deployment Issues: These are more related to the applications running within the cluster, not the cluster configuration itself. Security Vulnerabilities in Docker Containers: Kube-hunter focuses on the Kubernetes environment rather

  than Docker container-specific vulnerabilities.

  References from Pentest:

  Forge HTB: Highlights the use of specialized tools to identify misconfigurations in environments, similar to how kube-hunter operates within Kubernetes clusters. Anubis HTB: Demonstrates the importance of identifying and fixing

  misconfigurations within complex environments like Kubernetes clusters.

  Conclusion:

  Option B, weaknesses and misconfigurations in the Kubernetes cluster, accurately describes the type of vulnerabilities that kube-hunter is designed to detect.

• Question 116:

  A penetration tester is compiling the final report for a recently completed engagement. A junior QA team member wants to know where they can find details on the impact, overall security findings, and high-level statements. Which of the following sections of the report would most likely contain this information?

  A. Quality control

  B. Methodology

  C. Executive summary

  D. Risk scoring

  Correct Answer: C

  In the final report for a penetration test engagement, the section that most likely contains details on the impact, overall security findings, and high-level statements is the executive summary. Here's why:

  Purpose of the Executive Summary:

  Contents of the Executive Summary:

  Comparison to Other Sections:

• Question 117:

  A penetration tester completed OSINT work and needs to identify all subdomains for mydomain.com. Which of the following is the best command for the tester to use?

  A. nslookup mydomain.com ?/path/to/results.txt

  B. crunch 1 2 | xargs -n 1 -I 'X' nslookup X.mydomain.com

  C. dig @8.8.8.8 mydomain.com ANY ?/path/to/results.txt

  D. cat wordlist.txt | xargs -n 1 -I 'X' dig X.mydomain.com

  Correct Answer: D

  Using dig with a wordlist to identify subdomains is an effective method for subdomain enumeration. The command cat wordlist.txt | xargs -n 1 -I 'X' dig X.mydomain.com reads each line from wordlist.txt and performs a DNS lookup for each

  potential subdomain.

  Command Breakdown:

  Why This is the Best Choice:

  Benefits:

  References from Pentesting Literature:

  Step-by-Step ExplanationReferences:

  Penetration Testing - A Hands-on Introduction to Hacking HTB Official Writeups

• Question 118:

  While conducting a reconnaissance activity, a penetration tester extracts the following information:

  Emails: - [email protected] - [email protected] - [email protected]

  Which of the following risks should the tester use to leverage an attack as the next step in the security assessment?

  A. Unauthorized access to the network

  B. Exposure of sensitive servers to the internet

  C. Likelihood of SQL injection attacks

  D. Indication of a data breach in the company

  Correct Answer: A

  When a penetration tester identifies email addresses during reconnaissance, the most immediate risk to leverage for an attack is unauthorized access to the network. Here's why:

  Phishing Attacks:

  Spear Phishing:

  Comparison with Other Risks:

  Email addresses are a starting point for phishing attacks, making unauthorized access to the network the most relevant risk.

• Question 119:

  As part of an engagement, a penetration tester wants to maintain access to a compromised system after rebooting. Which of the following techniques would be best for the tester to use?

  A. Establishing a reverse shell

  B. Executing a process injection attack

  C. Creating a scheduled task

  D. Performing a credential-dumping attack

  Correct Answer: C

  To maintain access to a compromised system after rebooting, a penetration tester should create a scheduled task. Scheduled tasks are designed to run automatically at specified times or when certain conditions are met, ensuring persistence

  across reboots.

  Persistence Mechanisms:

  Creating a Scheduled Task:

  schtasks /create /tn "Persistence" /tr "C:\path\to\malicious.exe" /sc onlogon /ru SYSTEM uk.co.certification.simulator.questionpool.PList@6f42f33e (crontab -l; echo "@reboot /path/to/malicious.sh") | crontab - Pentest References:

  By creating a scheduled task, the penetration tester ensures that their access method (e.g., reverse shell, malware) is executed automatically whenever the system reboots, providing reliable persistence.

• Question 120:

  Which of the following post-exploitation activities allows a penetration tester to maintain persistent access in a compromised system?

  A. Creating registry keys

  B. Installing a bind shell

  C. Executing a process injection

  D. Setting up a reverse SSH connection

  Correct Answer: A

  Maintaining persistent access in a compromised system is a crucial goal for a penetration tester after achieving initial access. Here's an explanation of each option and why creating registry keys is the preferred method:

  Creating registry keys (Answer: A):

  Installing a bind shell (Option B):

  Executing a process injection (Option C):

  Setting up a reverse SSH connection (Option D):

  Conclusion: Creating registry keys is the most effective method for maintaining persistent access in a compromised system, particularly in Windows environments, due to its stealthiness and reliability.