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Cheat Sheets

Why candidates miss this

The use of continuous high-rate ICMP echo requests to overwhelm the firewall is tempting because it appears to be a brute-force approach. The decisive clue that eliminates it is the explicit constraint of respecting operational constraints, as this method is highly likely to trigger alerts and cause disruption. Likely wrong answer: Use continuous high-rate ICMP echo requests to overwhelm the firewall. Review focus: Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment, SP 800-115

Interview question

Q: Host discovery methods vary in their reliability and visibility, and firewalls can block one probe type while the host remains reachable by another permitted method. A lack of response is not definitive proof that a host does not exist. Scan rate and timing should respect operational constraints. What considerations guide the selection of a host discovery method in a constrained environment? Strong answer: The slow, staggered TCP SYN scan respects operational constraints while still allowing for host identification.

operational constraints
firewall blocking
host identification
scan rate and timing

Caution: Do not restate the multiple-choice stem or ask the learner merely to name a product, rule, or term.

Why this matters

A slow, staggered TCP SYN scan respects operational constraints while still allowing for host identification. Failure to do so could result in network disruption or detection by intrusion detection systems, leading to immediate service interruption and potential legal repercussions. This is a critical consideration for maintaining operational stability and avoiding negative consequences.

Question 1 As a penetration tester, you are tasked with discovering hosts on a network segment where standard ICMP echo requests are blocked by firewalls. You have identified that TCP SYN probes are allowed through the firewall but may be rate-limited to avoid detection. What method should you use for host discovery while respecting operational constraints?

Answer choices

A. Use continuous high-rate ICMP echo requests to overwhelm the firewall.
B. Send a single TCP ACK probe to each IP address on the segment.
C. Ignore the firewall and use UDP probes across all ports for rapid discovery.
D. Implement a slow, staggered TCP SYN scan with appropriate timing intervals.

Correct answer

Implement a slow, staggered TCP SYN scan with appropriate timing intervals.

Host discovery methods vary in their reliability and visibility, and firewalls can selectively block probes. A slow, staggered TCP SYN scan respects operational constraints while still allowing for host identification.

Wrong-answer review

A. Use continuous high-rate ICMP echo requests to overwhelm the firewall.: ICMP echo requests are easily blocked by firewalls, making them an unreliable method for host discovery and potentially triggering alerts.
B. Send a single TCP ACK probe to each IP address on the segment.: A single TCP ACK probe is not a standard host discovery technique and will likely be ignored or misinterpreted by the target system.
C. Ignore the firewall and use UDP probes across all ports for rapid discovery.: UDP probes are often unreliable due to their connectionless nature and can generate a large amount of noise on the network.

Extra learning features

Objective/domain: 2. Reconnaissance and Enumeration (21%)

Source: Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment, SP 800-115

Question 2 During a penetration test, an unexpected critical vulnerability is discovered that could potentially compromise user data. The engagement plan includes regular reporting cadence but no immediate escalation path for such findings. What should the tester do?

A. Contact the client's designated emergency contact immediately.
B. Wait until the next scheduled report to inform the client.
C. Document the finding and proceed with planned testing activities.
D. Pause all testing activities until a new engagement plan is agreed upon.

Contact the client's designated emergency contact immediately.

Objective/domain: 1. Engagement Management (13%)

Question 3 An SMTP service advertises several command capabilities. The rules allow banner and capability checks but prohibit authentication attempts and message delivery. What should the tester do next?

A. Validate capabilities with safe non-delivery commands; document the surface
B. Send a test message to a known address to prove that the server accepts mail.
C. Try credentials over the advertised AUTH mechanism because the service disclosed it.
D. Treat the capability banner as proof that the server permits unauthenticated relay.

Validate capabilities with safe non-delivery commands; document the surface

Source: CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-003 Exam Objectives, Version 3.0

Question 4 During a mobile app test, you find that the application stores sensitive data locally without proper encryption and uses client-side obfuscation to protect API keys. What should be your recommendation for addressing this issue?

A. Suggest implementing stronger client-side obfuscation techniques.
B. Propose embedding additional secrets in the application to confuse attackers.
C. Advise the removal of all sensitive data from local storage.
D. Recommend using server-side authorization instead of relying on client-side measures.

Recommend using server-side authorization instead of relying on client-side measures.

Objective/domain: 3. Vulnerability Discovery and Analysis (17%)

Source: Mobile Application Security Verification Standard

Question 5 During a cloud penetration test, you discover that an IAM role allows full access to all resources in the AWS account. To demonstrate excessive permissions without causing unnecessary damage, what is the best course of action?

A. Grant yourself full admin rights and document findings.
B. Use the least impactful method to prove permission excess.
C. Create a new S3 bucket with public read access to test.
D. Ignore the finding as it's not within your authorized scope.

Use the least impactful method to prove permission excess.

Objective/domain: 4. Attacks and Exploits (35%)

Source: Cloud Computing Forensic Reference Architecture, SP 800-201

Question 6 You are pivoting through a compromised server to reach another network during a penetration test. To ensure that you do not inadvertently expose additional networks, what is the safest approach?

A. Establish a tunnel without documenting routes.
B. Use pivot points to control and document routes
C. Transfer all data directly between target systems.
D. Ignore new networks discovered through pivoting.

Use pivot points to control and document routes

Objective/domain: 5. Post-exploitation and Lateral Movement (14%)

Source: MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Matrix

Question 7 During a penetration test, you discover that one of your team members has collected evidence in an unrepeatable manner without proper documentation. This could compromise the integrity of the evidence. What should be done to ensure the evidence remains credible and can support legal or disciplinary actions if necessary?

A. Ignore the issue as long as the evidence appears valid.
B. Discard all improperly collected evidence and start over from scratch.
C. Document collection time, source, collector, and context
D. Transfer responsibility to another team member without addressing the documentation issues.

Document collection time, source, collector, and context

Question 8 During a penetration test, you need to gather information about a target system without triggering alarms. Which method should you use?

A. Perform an active scan using Nmap.
B. Contact the client's IT department for access details.
C. Use passive reconnaissance techniques like sniffing network traffic.
D. Request permission from the client to perform active scans.

Use passive reconnaissance techniques like sniffing network traffic.

Question 9 While reviewing source code for a web application, you find that input is sanitized before reaching a SQL query, but the sanitizer uses a different interpreter or context from the one executing that query. What should the reviewer conclude?

A. Trace the value to the SQL sink and validate it in execution context
B. Replace the sanitizer without tracing the query path or confirming how the application interprets the value.
C. Conclude that the sanitizer is effective because it runs before the query is built.
D. Add logging and treat the logged input as evidence that the query is protected.

Trace the value to the SQL sink and validate it in execution context

Source: Secure Software Development Framework, SP 800-218

Question 10 While testing a network service, you find that it uses default credentials. You are unsure if these credentials have been changed since deployment or if they represent an unauthenticated state of the service. What should be your next step?

A. Test for authentication without attempting further access.
B. Immediately report the use of default credentials.
C. Attempt to authenticate using known default credentials.
D. Cease testing and inform management of potential risks.

Test for authentication without attempting further access.

Source: Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Authenticator Management, SP 800-63B

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During a penetration test, an unexpected critical vulnerability is discovered that could potentially compromise user data. The engagement plan includes regular reporting cadence but no immediate escalation path for such findings. What should the tester do?

An SMTP service advertises several command capabilities. The rules allow banner and capability checks but prohibit authentication attempts and message delivery. What should the tester do next?

During a mobile app test, you find that the application stores sensitive data locally without proper encryption and uses client-side obfuscation to protect API keys. What should be your recommendation for addressing this issue?

During a cloud penetration test, you discover that an IAM role allows full access to all resources in the AWS account. To demonstrate excessive permissions without causing unnecessary damage, what is the best course of action?

You are pivoting through a compromised server to reach another network during a penetration test. To ensure that you do not inadvertently expose additional networks, what is the safest approach?

During a penetration test, you need to gather information about a target system without triggering alarms. Which method should you use?

While reviewing source code for a web application, you find that input is sanitized before reaching a SQL query, but the sanitizer uses a different interpreter or context from the one executing that query. What should the reviewer conclude?

While testing a network service, you find that it uses default credentials. You are unsure if these credentials have been changed since deployment or if they represent an unauthenticated state of the service. What should be your next step?

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