Penetration testing (also called pen testing) is the practice of testing a computer system, network, or Web application to find vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.
Which of the following areas can be exploited in a penetration test? Each correct answer represents a complete solution.
Choose all that apply.
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A. B. C. D. E. F. G.ACDEFG.
Penetration testing (also called pen testing) is the practice of testing a computer system, network, or Web application to find vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.
Following are the areas that can be exploited in a penetration test: Kernel flaws: Kernel flaws refer to the exploitation of kernel code flaws in the operating system.
Buffer overflows: Buffer overflows refer to the exploitation of a software failure to properly check for the length of input data.
This overflow can cause malicious behavior on the system.
Race conditions: A race condition is a situation in which an attacker can gain access to a system as a privileged user.
File and directory permissions: In this area, an attacker exploits weak permissions restrictions to gain unauthorized access of documents.
Trojan horses: These are malicious programs that can exploit an information system by attaching themselves in valid programs and files.
Social engineering: In this technique, an attacker uses his social skills and persuasion to acquire valuable information that can be used to conduct an attack against a system.
Penetration testing is a critical security assessment process that involves testing a computer system, network, or web application to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. During a penetration test, security experts simulate a real-world attack to uncover vulnerabilities in different areas of the system. Below are explanations of each area that can be exploited in a penetration test:
A. Kernel flaws: The kernel is the core component of an operating system that manages system resources, memory, and processes. Kernel flaws are vulnerabilities in the kernel that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to a system, bypass security controls, or cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
B. Information system architectures: The architecture of an information system refers to its design, structure, and components. Information system architectures can be exploited in a penetration test to identify vulnerabilities in network protocols, firewalls, routers, switches, and other components that could be used to gain unauthorized access to the system.
C. Race conditions: A race condition occurs when two or more processes or threads access a shared resource at the same time, leading to unexpected behavior or vulnerabilities. Race conditions can be exploited in a penetration test to gain unauthorized access, bypass security controls, or cause a DoS attack.
D. File and directory permissions: File and directory permissions are access control mechanisms that determine who can read, write, or execute files and directories on a system. File and directory permissions can be exploited in a penetration test to gain unauthorized access to sensitive files or directories, modify or delete files, or execute arbitrary code.
E. Buffer overflows: Buffer overflows occur when a program tries to write more data to a buffer than it can hold, leading to a memory corruption vulnerability. Buffer overflows can be exploited in a penetration test to execute arbitrary code, gain unauthorized access to a system, or cause a DoS attack.
F. Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is a type of malware that appears to be a legitimate program but contains malicious code that can compromise a system. Trojan horses can be used in a penetration test to simulate an attacker's behavior and test the effectiveness of security controls.
G. Social engineering: Social engineering is a technique used by attackers to manipulate people into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that could compromise a system's security. Social engineering can be exploited in a penetration test to test the effectiveness of security awareness training and identify vulnerabilities in human behavior.