6. Exploiting Application Vulnerabilities

Explanation: The HTTP message status code series in 400 range represents client errors. These errors are returned when the client makes a request that the server can’t fulfill.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: To discover possible SQL injection vulnerabilities, one common method is by adding a semicolon (;) or single quote (’) to the field or parameter in a web form. This technique is used since the single quote is a string terminator in SQL and, if the application doesn’t filter it correctly, it can reveal records or other information that could be helpful to augment your query or statement.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: Packet sniffing is not a type of LDAP injection attack. It involves capturing, decoding, and analyzing network traffic to extract information.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 31 in PDF)

Explanation: Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) is the attack described here, which exploits the trust an application has in a user’s browser. Attackers trick the user’s browser into sending HTTP requests to a target site, often causing unwanted actions.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: In preventing XSS attacks, OWASP does not recommend inserting untrusted data without validation as it exposes your application to security issues.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 35 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP POST method is often used to send data to the server, such as when a user submits form data via an HTML form or through API requests.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 35 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP status codes in the range of 400-499 represent client errors. These indicate that there was a problem with the request made by the client. For example, the server may not be able to find the requested resource (404 error), or the request method may not be allowed for the requested resource (405 error).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: B. Use attribute escape before inserting trusted data into HTML common attributes is the correct answer because, as stated in the material, the general rule is to use attribute escape before inserting untrusted data, not trusted data, into HTML common attributes. Placing trusted data would not necessarily pose a threat in the first place since it’s been verified as safe.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 45 in PDF)

Explanation: In the context provided, one of the commonly used methods to take advantage of authentication-based vulnerabilities is session hijacking. In this approach, an attacker hijacks a session between a user and a web application.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In the context of SQL injection attacks, the Boolean technique is typically used in blind SQL injection attacks where the vulnerable application may not return an SQL error but could return HTTP error messages.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: INSERT is not a recognized HTTP method. The HTTP protocol supports several methods including GET, POST, OPTIONS, HEAD, TRACE, PUT, DELETE and CONNECT.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Out-of-band SQL injection is a technique where the attacker retrieves data by using a different channel, such as via email, text, or an instant message. This can also be done by sending the compromised data to another system.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 24 in PDF)

Explanation: The ’User-Agent’ field in an HTTP request is used to identify the browser type and version that was used to access the website. This information can also include other details like the operating system the browser is running on.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 203-204 in PDF)

Explanation: Subresource Integrity (SRI) is a security feature that allows you to provide a hash of a file fetched by a web browser (client). It verifies the file’s integrity and ensures that the file is delivered without any tampering or manipulation by an attacker.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: BlackArch Linux is the Linux distribution used for penetration testing that is based on Arch Linux and comes with over 1900 different tools, as mentioned in the provided text.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 11 in PDF)

Explanation: All the listed techniques can be used to compromise a session token during a web session. Predicting session tokens involves guessing or proceeding according to some logical pattern to determine the possible session token. Session sniffing involves monitoring the unencrypted web session to capture the session token. The on-path attack (formerly known as man-in-the-middle attack) allows an attacker to sit in the path between the client and the web server, positioning them to capture or manipulate session tokens.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Embedding a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file using HTML embed tags is one of the XSS Evasion techniques demonstrated in the text. This technique takes advantage of the capabilities provided by SVGs, which can contain active JavaScript content, embedded within an HTML document.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP is different from stateful protocols such as FTP, SMTP, IMAP, and POP. In a stateful protocol, sequences of related commands are treated as a single interaction, which requires the server to maintain the state of its interaction with the client throughout the transmission of successive commands until the interaction is terminated. HTTP, in contrast, is a stateless protocol that works with simple request-response transactions between the client and the server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 89 in PDF)

Explanation: Fuzz testing or Fuzzing is used in an unknown environment or black box software testing scenario, which aims at finding implementation bugs using malformed or semi-malformed data injection in an automated fashion.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Using a VPN to mask an IP address doesn’t directly exploit authentication-based vulnerabilities in a system. It’s a method of hiding or changing one’s IP address to prevent tracking, but it does not involve taking advantage of the weaknesses in the system’s authentication procedure.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 26 in PDF)

Explanation: The out-of-band exploitation technique is used when exploiting a blind SQL injection vulnerability to force the victim server to send the results of the SQL injection attack (compromised data) to another server (usually controlled by the attacker).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP GET method is used in HTTP requests to retrieve information from the server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The text describes numerous strategies to prevent XSS attacks, a critical part of which is converting untrusted input into a safe form where the input is displayed as data to the user, rather than executing it as a code in the browser.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 19 in PDF)

Explanation: The use of non-persistent cookies is recommended because it forces the session information to be deleted from the client after the current web browser instance is closed. This means that the session ID, which is equivalent to a user’s strong authentication method for the session duration, will not be stored on the web client’s cache for an unnecessarily long time; hence minimizing potential security risks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 183-184 in PDF)

Explanation: Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerabilities occur when a web application allows direct access to objects based on user input. This can allow attackers to bypass authorization checks and access resources that should be protected, like database records or system files. The vulnerability can be exploited by modifying the value of a parameter that is used to directly point to an object.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: An attacker can compromise a session token or perform session hijacking by predicting session tokens and performing session sniffing. Predicting session tokens involves guessing the next session ID that will be assigned by the web application. Session sniffing involves collecting packets of unencrypted web sessions to capture the session ID.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The time delay technique is typically used by an attacker when they do not receive output or error messages from the application. By deliberately delaying database commands, the attacker can gain additional insights based on how the application and database respond.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: PinLatch is not mentioned in the text as a method or technology behind modern APIs. The correct methods or technologies listed in the text are SOAP, REST, and GraphQL.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: ALTER DATABASE SQL injection (SQLi) vulnerabilities allow an attacker to view, insert, delete, or modify records in a database. Attackers can inject partial or complete SQL queries into input fields of a web application or a URL to execute SQL commands.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP GET method is used to retrieve information from the server as it requests data from a specified resource.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 65 in PDF)

Explanation: In a blind or inferential SQL injection attack, the attacker does not make the application display or transfer any data directly; rather, the attacker is able to reconstruct the information by sending specific statements and discerning the behavior of the application and database.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 77 in PDF)

Explanation: These are some of the recommended practices by OWASP for preventing XSS attacks. These measures aim to secure different aspects of data handling in web applications, including escaping untrusted data, sanitizing HTML markup, enforcing secure cookie attributes, and educating users on safe browsing practices.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 61 in PDF)

Explanation: A local file inclusion (LFI) vulnerability allows a user to input files or upload files to the server, and a successful exploitation of LFI can lead to an attacker reading and executing files on the victim’s system. On the other hand, with a remote file inclusion (RFI) vulnerability, an attacker can execute code hosted on their own system rather than accessing a file on the victim’s system.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: Validation of parameters in the application and sanitizing incoming data form API clients is important as it will prevent insecure or malformed data to enter the system via the API.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 78 in PDF)

Explanation: The UPLOAD method is not a valid HTTP method. Valid HTTP methods include GET, HEAD, POST, TRACE, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS, and CONNECT.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In HTTP Protocol, the HEAD method is similar to GET, but it only returns HTTP headers without the document body. This is useful when a client wants to check if a resource exists without actually downloading the resource.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 80 in PDF)

Explanation: Predictable session tokens can be exploited by an attacker to perform a session hijacking. If an attacker can guess or determine a session token, they can impersonate a user and gain unauthorized access to their session.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 45 in PDF)

Explanation: Improper error handling refers to a security vulnerability where error messages such as error codes, database dumps, and stack traces can provide valuable information to an attacker, including details about potential flaws in the applications. These bits of information can be further exploited by the attacker to perform additional attacks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In the example provided, the Time-Delay SQL Injection Technique is used to verify the version of the MySQL server. If it is version 8.x, it forces the server to delay its response by 10 seconds, creating an observable delay that can be interpreted by the attacker. This technique allows a hacker to affirmatively answer specific queries about the database, such as its version, by observing how long it takes for the server to respond.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 58 in PDF)

Explanation: Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerabilities are exploited when an attacker is able to map out all locations in the application where user input is used to directly reference objects. This allows the attacker to modify the value of a parameter used to directly point to an object and potentially access resources not originally intended.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The text describes common ways to exploit application-based vulnerabilities by bypassing authentication in affected systems, which include credential brute forcing and session hijacking.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The OWASP Top 10 is an awareness document that lists the top 10 application security risks. It is a community effort and is regularly updated by OWASP.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: According to OWASP, untrusted data should never be inserted except in allowed locations, not trusted data in any location. This rule is in place to ensure that potentially unsafe data isn’t placed in a location where it could result in a successful XSS attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: The paragraph suggests that in order to prevent the exploitation of default credentials, one should change the manufacturer’s default passwords and restrict network access to important systems.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 31 in PDF)

Explanation: The UNION operator can be used in SQL injection attacks to join queries and extract the values of columns that are from other tables. In the example given, the attacker joined the result of the original query with all the credit card numbers in the payments table.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 27 in PDF)

Explanation: The session ID, when included in a URL, can be intercepted, manipulated, or exploited during a session fixation attack. Through session fixation attacks, attackers can manipulate web traffic to inject the session ID onto the victim’s web browser. To ensure safe web session management, session IDs need to be encrypted and kept out of the URL.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page NA in PDF)

Explanation: Redirecting is a technique used by attackers to drive users to a different site or page, and it doesn’t necessarily involve direct manipulation of user identification details as it is the case with brute forcing or exploiting default or weak credentials. In session hijacking, an attacker impersonates a user by capturing and using their session ID, which directly involves user identification details.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Out-of-band SQL injection is a form of SQL injection attack where the attacker retrieves data using a different channel. This could be an email, a text, or an instant message sent to the attacker with the query results.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 10 in PDF)

Explanation: The Error-based technique in SQL injection attacks is used to force the database to generate an error. This helps the attacker refine their attack, as the error messages can provide valuable information about the database, which can be used for a more targeted attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 16 in PDF)

Explanation: The text suggests that developers often leave comments in the source code that contain sensitive information, such as system passwords, API credentials, etc. This information can be found and used by an attacker.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 2 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the application-level protocol in the TCP/IP protocol suite that uses a request/response model for transmitting messages. This means that an HTTP client program sends an HTTP request message to a server, and then the server returns an HTTP response message.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: XSS vulnerabilities typically occur in objects that interact or handle user input in some way. This includes search fields, HTTP headers, input fields, error messages, hidden fields with user input data, and applications or websites that echo or display user-supplied data.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Gobuster is used for active reconnaissance of a web application, particularly for enumerating files and directories. It does not typically function as a web proxy for intercepting, modifying, or deleting transactions like Burp Suite or ZAP.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Option B suggests ’Insert untrusted data wherever possible’, which is incorrect as OWASP recommends to ’Never insert untrusted data except in allowed locations’. This is a preventative measure against XSS attacks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Business logic flaws typically can’t be found by using scanners or other similar tools because they involve illegitimate use of the application’s legitimate transactions and flows, which may not be flagged as issues by scanning tools.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 78 in PDF)

Explanation: The request version-number field in an HTTP request specifies the version of HTTP that is being used by the client. It communicates to the server what version of the HTTP protocol the client is capable of using.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 58-60 in PDF)

Explanation: Authentication bypass is a type of LDAP injection attack where the attacker bypasses password and credential checking. In this type of attack, the attacker leverages vulnerabilities to insert unsanitized user input directly into an LDAP statement, which results in executing queries that essentially bypass the authentication.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 31 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP Parameter Pollution (HPP) occurs when multiple HTTP parameters with the same name are used in a request. This can cause the application to interpret the values incorrectly, allowing an attacker to bypass input validation, trigger application errors, or modify internal variable values.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Parameter tampering is a form of attack in which parameters exchanged between the web client and the web server are manipulated to modify application data, which might include reducing the price of an item by editing a hidden field, as discussed in the text.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 89 in PDF)

Explanation: The primary difference between Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks and XSS attacks is that CSRF attacks exploit the trust that an application has in a user’s browser. XSS attacks, on the other hand, typically inject malicious scripts into a website, which are then executed by the user’s browser.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 66 in PDF)

Explanation: Cookies are one of the most widely used session ID exchange mechanisms as they offer advanced capabilities not available in other methods.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 40 in PDF)

Explanation: By exploiting HPP vulnerabilities, an attacker may bypass input validation mechanisms, trigger errors in the application, or even modify the values of internal variables that could lead to further exploitations.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 294-295 in PDF)

Explanation: In a Persistent/Stored XSS attack, the malicious code is not sent via a URL or directly to the victim, but instead it is permanently stored on a vulnerable or malicious server and is served to the user when requested.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 72 in PDF)

Explanation: An LFI vulnerability allows a user to submit inputs to files or upload files to the server, which in a successful attack allows the attacker to read and sometimes execute files on the victim’s system, exploiting high privileges or root access. An RFI vulnerability, on the other hand, allows an attacker to execute code hosted on their own system, possibly leading to the execution of malware or malicious scripts when the victim visits a certain site.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The text mentions three popular Linux distributions which are often used for penetration testing. These are Kali Linux, Parrot OS, and BlackArch Linux. These distributions come with pre-packed security tools which make them convenient for penetration testers.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: Hard-Coded Credentials refer to fixed login or authentication data embedded within the application’s code. These could be identified and exploited by attackers to compromise the application or the entire system.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 52 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP is a stateless protocol. In most cases, an HTTP transaction consists of a single request from a client to a server and then a single response from the server back to the client.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Comments in source code can sometimes reveal sensitive information, such as system passwords or API credentials, if developers are not careful about what they include in these comments. These details can be leveraged by an attacker.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 35 in PDF)

Explanation: These SQL commands are a significant part of SQL injection attacks because they allow the attacker to interact with the database. Using these commands, an attacker can view, insert, delete, or modify records in the targeted database.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), as an API method, uses XML (eXtensible Markup Language) exclusively to provide API services. XML-based specifications are governed by XML Schema Definition (XSD) documents.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 16 in PDF)

Explanation: Dynamically writing to cookies using data originating from untrusted sources can expose the application to cookie manipulation attacks. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid this practice.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP DELETE method deletes the specified resource on the server. This is a part of the standard protocol where each method has its own designated function.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 28 in PDF)

Explanation: The text explicitly mentions two types of LDAP injection attacks: Authentication bypass and Information disclosure. Authentication bypass is used to pass password and credential checking, and Information disclosure allows an attacker to list all resources in an organization’s directory for reconnaissance.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: According to the text, the best mitigation for SQL injection vulnerabilities is to use immutable queries. Immutable queries do not contain data that could get interpreted. In some cases, they process the data as a single entity that is bound to a column without interpretation. Examples of immutable queries include Static queries, Parameterized queries and Stored procedures (if they do not generate dynamic SQL).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP GET method is used to request data from a specific resource on a server. It is one of the most common methods used in HTTP and is particularly common in web browsing.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP GET method is used to retrieve information from the server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: This web exploitation tool known as OWASP ZAP has capabilities such as proxy, automated scanning, fuzzing, and is used to perform automated scanning of vulnerable web applications. OWASP ZAP found two vulnerable JavaScript libraries that an attacker could leverage to compromise the web application.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6-26 in PDF)

Explanation: A DROP INDEX SQL injection vulnerability can allow an attacker to input (inject) partial or complete SQL commands, which can then be used to view, insert, delete, or modify records in the database. These commands can be inserted into any input field of the application or URL, allowing the attacker to manipulate the system as they wish.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 57 in PDF)

Explanation: Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP are web proxies popularly used by hackers to exploit vulnerabilities in web applications. They intercept, modify or delete transactions between a web browser and a web application. Other tools such as gobuster, ffuf, and feroxbuster also exist for enumerating files and directories in active web application reconnaissance.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6-24 in PDF)

Explanation: In the provided text, there was no mention of malware infection as a method for exploiting application-based vulnerabilities. Methods mentioned include session hijacking, redirecting, and exploiting weak credentials among others.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 31 in PDF)

Explanation: Encrypting the entire web session ensures that the session ID is exchanged only through an encrypted channel, thus reducing the risk of session fixation attacks where the attacker can intercept and manipulate the web traffic.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 24 in PDF)

Explanation: The different methods an HTTP request can be based on are: GET (Retrieves information from the server), HEAD (Returns only HTTP headers and no document body), POST (Sends data to the server), TRACE (Does a message loopback test along the path to the target resource), PUT (Uploads a representation of the specified URI), DELETE (Deletes the specified resource), OPTIONS (Returns the HTTP methods that the server supports), and CONNECT (Converts the request connection to a transparent TCP/IP tunnel).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 48 in PDF)

Explanation: Kali Linux is a Debian-based distribution primarily used for penetration testing. It is maintained and supported by Offensive Security.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In a CSRF attack, an attacker manipulates the trust an application places in a user’s browser to cause an unintended action to be taken. In contrast, XSS attacks exploit vulnerabilities in a user’s decision making by embedding scripts in web pages that execute when visited by the unsuspecting user.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

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Explanation: Installing antivirus software is a mitigation strategy used to secure systems, not a method used by attackers to exploit vulnerabilities and bypass authentication.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Non-persistent cookies are deleted from the client when the web browser is closed, preventing the session ID from remaining in the web client cache for long periods of time. If the session ID is long enough (at least 128 bits), it reduces the risk of brute-force attacks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 67 in PDF)

Explanation: A race condition occurs when a system or an application attempts to perform two or more operations at the same time which must be done in a specific sequence to be performed correctly. If an attacker manages to exploit this, they have a small window to perform an attack between the time when a security control takes effect and when the operation is performed.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: All of the techniques listed – utilizing HTML img tags, implementing hexadecimal HTML character references, and using US ASCII encoding – can be used to potentially evade XSS filters. These are among the popular techniques that attackers use to bypass XSS protections and security products such as web application firewalls (WAFs).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 181-182 in PDF)

Explanation: Manipulating hidden fields of POST requests helps identify if the application appropriately sanitizes user input. If it doesn’t, an attacker can supply crafted input in an attempt to make the original SQL statement execute further actions in the database or retrieve records or additional information.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 78 in PDF)

Explanation: By inserting a semicolon or a single quote in a web form field or parameter, a pentester can test the application for SQL injection vulnerabilities. These string terminators, if not properly sanitized by the app, can potentially lead to retrieval of records or more information that can help in enhancing an exploitative query.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 126 in PDF)

Explanation: In out-of-band SQL Injection, the attacker uses a different channel to retrieve the data. This can be through email, text, instant message or they might be able to send the compromised data to another system.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The out-of-band technique is used to obtain records from the database by using a different channel in SQL injection attacks. For instance, it’s possible to make an HTTP connection to send the results to a different web server or a local machine running a web service.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 68 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP methods such as GET, POST, DELETE, PUT, HEAD, TRACE, OPTIONS, and CONNECT each specify a particular type of action that is requested of the server. For example, GET retrieves information, POST sends data, and DELETE removes the specified resource.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 47-49 in PDF)

Explanation: Web Services Description Language (WSDL) documents are used to document the functionality of a web service, thereby giving penetration testers valuable clues about possible attack vectors.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Boolean is used in SQL injection attacks to verify whether certain conditions are true or false. The attacker sends different true and false queries and observes the application’s responses. It is the correct answer because it matches the description provided in the question.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: As per the text, successful exploitation of XSS vulnerabilities may result in installation or execution of malicious code, account compromise, session cookie hijacking, revelation or modification of local files, or site redirection.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The SELECT command is used to obtain data from a database, therefore, an attacker attempting to view data from a database would likely use this command during a SQL injection attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: OWASP ZAP is a collection of tools that includes a web proxy, automated scanning, fuzzing, and other capabilities to find vulnerabilities in web applications. This is per the passage provided.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Stacked queries allows for execution of any SQL statement or procedure. This means that a malicious user can execute damaging commands such as ’DELETE FROM’ as demonstrated in the example in the text.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page unknown in PDF)

Explanation: This is a demonstration of US ASCII encoding to evade WAFs. In this example, the script tag and alert function have been encoded using US ASCII encoding to bypass content filters.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 12 in PDF)

Explanation: In an SQL injection attack, the UPDATE statement is often used by the attacker to modify data inside a database. This malicious action can significantly compromise the database’s integrity and confidentiality.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6-7 in PDF)

Explanation: LDAP injection attacks leverage vulnerabilities that occur when an application inserts unsanitized user input (input that is not validated) directly into an LDAP statement, as specified in the provided text.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: If an SQL server does not sanitize user input, it could execute malicious SQL statements within the stored procedure, potentially gaining unauthorized access or retrieving sensitive data.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The out-of-band exploitation technique helps in establishing an out-of-band connection using a DBMS function in the context of a blind SQL injection vulnerability. This connection is then used to obtain the results of the blind SQL injection attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 56 in PDF)

Explanation: Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability allows the attacker to read and execute files on the victim’s system, sometimes even running arbitrary commands on high privilege vulnerable applications.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP Parameter Pollution (HPP) occurs when multiple HTTP parameters have the same name, which can cause an application to interpret values incorrectly. Attackers can exploit this by appending the same parameter with a different value to the GET or POST data, which can lead to bypassing input validation, triggering application errors, or modifying internal variable values.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: GET, POST, TRACE, DELETE are HTTP methods. GET retrieves information from the server, POST sends data to the server, TRACE executes a message loopback test, and DELETE deletes a specified resource. These methods are used to have various interactions with the server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In a Stored XSS attack, malicious code or script is permanently stored on a vulnerable or malicious server, using a database. These attacks are typically carried out on websites hosting blog posts, web forums, and other methods of permanent storage. An example of a stored XSS attack is a user requesting the stored information from the server, and in turn injecting the requested malicious script into the victim’s browser.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: There is no such category known as ’Customer control statements’ in SQL as described in this section. The categories mentioned are: Data Definition Language (DDL) statements, Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements, session control statements, transaction control statements, system control statements, and embedded SQL statements.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In the case of SQL injection vulnerabilities, the attacker can insert, or inject, partial or complete SQL queries via the web application, including into input fields or URLs, to execute predefined SQL commands. This can allow an attacker to view, insert, delete, or modify records in the database.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Error messages can often reveal the type of database being used in the back-end. SQL syntax errors specific to a type of database, such as Oracle, MySQL, or PostgreSQL, can provide this information.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: A command injection is an attack in which an attacker tries to execute commands that he or she is not supposed to be able to execute on a system via a vulnerable application. Command injection attacks are possible when an application does not validate data supplied by the user (for example, data entered in web forms, cookies, HTTP headers, and other elements). The vulnerable system passes that data into a system shell.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 77 in PDF)

Explanation: Blind (or inferential) SQL injection does not display or transfer any data from the application. Rather, the attacker sends certain statements to the system and observes the response or behavior of the application and database, through which they try to reconstruct the information.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Increasing access rights is not listed as a common way an attacker can exploit authentication-based vulnerabilities in a system. The text mentions several methods, including credential brute forcing, session hijacking, redirecting, and exploiting weak or default credentials, but not the increase in access rights.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The single quote is used in SQL as a string terminator. If an application fails to filter these characters correctly, it may allow attackers to execute SQL commands to retrieve or modify data in the database. This is why penetration testers often add these characters to test the application’s input sanitization mechanisms.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 119 in PDF)

Explanation: The query-string in a URL is an optional part that contains name/value pairs. These pairs represent dynamic parameters associated with the request. These parameters can be included in links for tracking and context-setting purposes. They may also be produced from variables in HTML forms.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 7 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP status codes in the 400 range indicate client-side errors. This means the client must modify the request before resending it. This can often be a result of the requested resource not being found on the server or the request being poorly formatted.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 21 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP is categorized as a stateless protocol. It does not maintain the state of its interaction with the client throughout the transmission of successive commands until the interaction is terminated. Instead, every single request is considered independent of all other requests.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 117 in PDF)

Explanation: The dot-dot-slash (../) sequence is a common technique used by attackers to exploit directory traversal vulnerabilities. By manipulating variables that reference files with this sequence, they can potentially access files and directories stored outside the web root folder.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 109 in PDF)

Explanation: The union operator in SQL can be used to combine rows from multiple tables. An attacker can exploit this by modifying a SQL query to extract data from multiple tables that they may not have access to under normal conditions.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The general rules for preventing cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks as stated by OWASP include using an auto-escaping template system, using HTML escape before inserting untrusted data into HTML element content, and converting untrusted input into a safe form. However, it’s explicitly stated that untrusted data should never be inserted into any location.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Cookies are the most widely used method for session ID exchange in a web application. They offer advanced capabilities that are not available in other methods

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: According to the provided text, a successful exploitation of injection-based vulnerabilities can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information, manipulation of data, denial-of-service (DoS) conditions, and more, which help in malicious actions.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Turning off Kerberos delegation in Active Directory by default is a fundamental method for mitigating risk from unconstrained Kerberos delegation. This measure limits the opportunities for an attacker to misuse the end-user credentials to access resources hosted on a different server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 136 in PDF)

Explanation: The Error-based technique is used to exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities by forcing the database to generate an error, thereby helping to enhance and refine an attack. It’s used to gain more information about the database structure and help the attacker in further injection.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The text lists the following as methods or technologies that underpin modern APIs: Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Representational State Transfer (REST), and GraphQL. Graphical Query Language (GQL) is not mentioned as a part of them.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The UPDATE command in SQL is used to modify or update existing records in a table. In a SQL injection attack, this command could potentially be used by an attacker to alter records to their advantage.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Ubuntu Linux is not specifically designed for ethical hacking or penetration testing. While it’s possible to install such tools on Ubuntu, it is not tailored for this purpose unlike Kali Linux, Parrot OS, and BlackArch Linux that are mentioned specifically for this purpose in the text.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 12 in PDF)

Explanation: API documentation often provides a roadmap that describes the underlying implementation of an application. This can give penetration testers valuable clues about attack vectors that they might otherwise overlook.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: An Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker by changing the value of a parameter that is used to directly reference an object, such as a database record or a system operation. This allows them to bypass authorization and access resources that should be protected.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 26 in PDF)

Explanation: There’s no direct recommendation in the OWASP’s general rules to convert apostrophes into '. Instead, it’s recommended to convert ” to " and ” to '. The other options are directly mentioned in the OWASP’s general rules for preventing XSS attacks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The main goal of using UNION operator in SQL injections attacks is to join queries and obtain the values of columns from other tables. An attacker can potentially access sensitive information from the database with this method.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: According to OWASP, preventing clickjacking involves sending directive response headers to the proper content security policy (CSP) frame ancestors to instruct the browser not to allow framing from other domains. This is effective against clickjacking as it ensures that the site content cannot be embedded within another site, thus protecting the site from being manipulated by attackers.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP CONNECT method is designed to convert the request connection to a transparent TCP/IP tunnel, typically to facilitate SSL-encrypted communication (HTTPS) through an unencrypted HTTP proxy.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 23 in PDF)

Explanation: Swagger (also known as OpenAPI) is a modern framework that is used for documenting and developing APIs. It forms the basis of the OpenAPI Specification (OAS), which provides an open-source framework for defining and documenting APIs.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP proxies act as both servers and clients, making requests to web servers on behalf of other clients. In addition to being intermediaries, they can support caching of HTTP messages, perform Network Address Translation (NAT), and filter HTTP requests.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: HTTP status code messages in the 500 range are related to server errors, signaling that something has gone wrong on the server’s side of the communication.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The correct sequence for a reflected XSS attack is: 1) the attacker finds a vulnerability in the server, 2) sends a malicious link to the victim, 3) the victim clicks on the link, 4) the vulnerable server reflects the attack to the victim, executes it, and 5) the victim submits their data to the attacker.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 4128-1999 in PDF)

Explanation: Sending all user data to a third-party server for validation is not a practice recommended by OWASP, as it can introduce new security risks, such as data leakages, and does not directly contribute to the prevention of XSS attacks. The other options A, B and C are indeed recommended by OWASP as measures against XSS attacks.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 42 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP 1.1 protocol is, indeed, defined in RFCs 7230–7235. This is a set of standards issued by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that defines the HTTP 1.1 protocol.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Command injection attacks exploit the vulnerability of an application not properly validating or sanitizing data supplied by the user. Meaning, attackers can input malicious commands that the application then executes, leading to potential security breaches.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Create Index, despite being a common SQL command, is typically not used in SQL injection attacks. SQL Injection attacks usually involve commands that can manipulate or extract data such as SELECT, INSERT INTO, DELETE, or DROP TABLE. CREATE INDEX is used to create an index or search key element in a database which is not directly beneficial or a common tactic in a SQLi attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: If an attacker can modify untrusted URL input in a web application that is vulnerable to unvalidated redirects and forwards, they can redirect the user to a malicious site, potentially leading to malware installation or theft of sensitive information.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 108 in PDF)

Explanation: The HTTP protocol does not support a ’PROXY’ method. It supports various other verbs like GET, POST, DELETE, HEAD, TRACE, PUT, OPTIONS, and CONNECT, but PROXY is not a standard HTTP method.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page page in PDF)

Explanation: Successful exploitation of XSS vulnerabilities could result in various harmful outcomes like installation or execution of malicious code, account compromise, session cookie hijacking, revelation or modification of local files, or site redirection.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The Error-based technique is used to force the database to generate an error to obtain more information about the database structure to enhance and refine the SQL injection attack.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 127 in PDF)

Explanation: In a UNION-based SQL injection attack, the attacker successfully joins their malicious query to the original query to gain access to additional data – such as the values of columns of other tables.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 62 in PDF)

Explanation: The text explains that Burp Suite, a popular web proxy, has the capability to intercept session cookies and modify transactions between a web browser and a web application. This aids in the identification and exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6-24 in PDF)

Explanation: Burp Suite is a proxy tool that can be used to intercept and collect full API requests during penetration testing. It helps in examining all aspects of the request and finding possible vulnerabilities.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 26 in PDF)

Explanation: If web applications do not filter out invalid session ID values, this can potentially be exploited to carry out a SQL injection attack, especially if the session IDs are stored on a relational database.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: The SELECT statement in SQL is used to obtain or retrieve data from a database. It is part of the data manipulation language (DML) statements.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In a directory traversal attack, the attacker exploits insufficient security validation or sanitization of user-supplied input file names. By manipulating variables that reference files with the dot-dot-slash (../) sequence and its variations, or by using absolute file paths, an attacker could potentially access unauthorized directories and execute commands outside of the web server’s root directory. In the example provided, a directory traversal vulnerability is exploited via a URL, which then provides the attacker with the contents of the /etc/passwd file.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 3 in PDF)

Explanation: The command ’nc -lvp 80’ is used to start a listener on the web server during a SQL injection attack. This command sets up a netcat listening service on port 80 that allows the attacker to receive the results of the payload (data extracted via SQL Injection) sent by the victim server.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Allowing insertion of untrusted data at any location is not a recommended practice for preventing XSS attacks by OWASP. XSS prevention measures involve strictly regulating where untrusted data can be inserted, among other steps.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: In SQL injection attacks, the SELECT statement is commonly used to query and obtain data from a database. An attacker can manipulate this statement to trick the database into returning data that it normally wouldn’t reveal.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)

Explanation: Using an auto-escaping template system is one of the general rules provided by OWASP for preventing XSS attacks. It automatically escapes suspicious strings of characters that might be misinterpreted by a web browser as code.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 59 in PDF)

Explanation: As mentioned in the text, mitigation for Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerabilities includes input validation (to sanitize incoming data), the use of peruser or session Indirect Object References in lieu of direct references (which render predictions difficult), and access control checks (which assure that a user is authorized for the requested object).

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 1188 in PDF)

Explanation: The dot-dot-slash (../../) sequence and its variations are typically used to manipulate variables that reference files in order to exploit directory traversal vulnerabilities. This sequence allows an attacker to move up one directory level and thus access files and directories outside of the web root folder.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 1 in PDF)

Explanation: Including the session ID in the URL can lead to the manipulation of the ID or session fixation attacks where an attacker can intercept and manipulate the web traffic to inject or fix the session ID on the victim’s web browser. So it’s important to keep the session ID out of the URL to maintain the secured state of the application.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 441-444 in PDF)

Explanation: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities are typically found in areas such as search fields, HTTP headers, input fields that echo user data, error messages and other areas displaying user-supplied data. Website backgrounds are not usually part of this list as they typically don’t display user-supplied data that can be manipulated for XSS.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 56 in PDF)

Explanation: Successful exploitation of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) could result in a number of negative consequences including the installation or execution of malicious code on the user’s system.

Ref: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 Cert Guide (Certification Guide) 2nd Edition

(Page 6 in PDF)