CompTIA CASP+ Exam: Assessing Security of an Application Binary

Assessing the Security of an Application Binary

Question

Joe, a penetration tester, is assessing the security of an application binary provided to him by his client.

Which of the following methods would be the MOST effective in reaching this objective?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

B.

Out of the options provided, the most effective method for assessing the security of an application binary would be to use a static code analyzer. This tool examines the application's source code to identify potential security vulnerabilities, design flaws, and coding errors.

Using a static code analyzer allows the tester to analyze the code for potential security weaknesses before the code is even compiled or executed. This can help identify issues such as buffer overflows, input validation errors, and other common programming mistakes that can be exploited by attackers.

Fuzzing is another technique that can be used to test the security of an application binary. It involves sending a large number of random inputs to the application to see if it crashes or behaves unexpectedly. However, this technique can be time-consuming and may not provide as comprehensive results as a static code analysis.

Running the binary in an application sandbox can also be an effective way to test its security. A sandbox is a secure and isolated environment in which the application can be run without affecting the underlying system. However, this method may not identify all potential security issues since the application may behave differently in the sandbox compared to a production environment.

Manually reviewing the binary in a text editor can be a time-consuming process, and it may not identify all potential security issues. This approach may be useful for identifying certain types of issues, such as hardcoded passwords or sensitive information, but it is not a comprehensive security assessment technique.