A penetration tester has written an application that performs a bit-by-bit XOR 0xFF operation on binaries prior to transmission over untrusted media.
Which of the following BEST describes the action performed by this type of application?
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A. B. C. D.D.
The action performed by the application that performs a bit-by-bit XOR 0xFF operation on binaries prior to transmission over untrusted media is obfuscation.
Obfuscation is the practice of making code or data more difficult to understand, typically to make it more difficult for attackers to analyze or reverse engineer. In this case, the application is using a technique known as bitwise XOR encryption, which involves performing an exclusive OR (XOR) operation between each bit of the plaintext data and a corresponding bit in a secret key or mask. By XORing the data with the mask (0xFF in this case), the data is effectively scrambled or jumbled, making it more difficult for an attacker to decipher its meaning.
Hashing involves transforming data of arbitrary size into a fixed-size output, typically used for integrity verification or digital signatures. Key exchange involves the secure exchange of cryptographic keys between two parties, typically used to establish a secure communication channel. Encryption involves transforming plaintext data into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and a secret key, typically used to ensure confidentiality of the data.
Therefore, the action performed by the application described in the question is best described as obfuscation.