General Questions Flashcards
What is penetration testing and why is it important?
A penetration test is an authorized, targeted attack that evaluates an organization’s security posture, systems, and controls to identify and address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Explain the term “vulnerability” and how it relates to penetration testing.
A “vulnerability” refers to a weakness or flaw in a system, application, or network that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access, disrupt operations, or compromise data.
What are the 5 different phases of a penetration test?
In general the 5 phases of a pentest include:
1. Planning and Recon
2. Scanning and Enumeration
3. Exploitation
4. Post Exploitation
5. Reporting
Describe the concept of “privilege escalation” and how attackers might utilize it.
Privilege escalation refers to the process of gaining higher levels of access or control within a system than initially granted. Attackers exploit vulnerabilities to move laterally or vertically in a network.
What is social engineering and how can it be used in a penetration test?
Social engineering is the manipulation of individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.
Explain the difference between a black box, white box, and grey box penetration test
Black box: testing with zero previous knowledge of the environment
Grey box: testing with partial knowledge of the environment
White box: testing with complete prior knowledge of the environment
What are 3 common web application vulnerabilities you might look for during a penetration test?
- SQL Injections
- Cross Site Scripting
- Default credentials
How would you approach a reconnaissance phase in a penetration test?
The reconnaissance phase of a penetration test is focused on gathering as much information as possible about the target without directly interacting with it using passive and active recon.
What is an SQL injection attack and how can you detect it?
SQL Injection (SQLi) is a type of attack that exploits vulnerabilities in a web application’s database query functionality. It is detectable by inputting random characters into search fields, urls, or parameters and looking for output.
Explain the concept of a buffer overflow vulnerability.
A buffer overflow vulnerability occurs in an application when more data is written to a block of memory, or “buffer,” than it is allocated to hold. Attackers abuse this flaw to input payloads or shellcode to gain a foothold, or escalate privileges.
How do you handle a situation where you discover a critical vulnerability during a penetration test?
If a critical vulnerability is discovered during testing, it should be disclosed to the client immediately so they may start their remediation process. The tester should also discuss whether or not they would like the vulnerability to be exploited as a proof of concept.
What tools and techniques do you typically use for vulnerability scanning?
Nessus, OpenVAS, Qualys, Nikto, BurpSuite, Nmap
How would you document and report the findings of a penetration test?
Reporting should be taking place throughout testing to ensure it’s as accurate as possible to be beneficial for the client. Screenshots, timestamps, successes and failures, and client alerts should all be included not only to find vulnerabilities but also to help clients validate that their current controls are working as intended.
Describe information security.
Information security is how companies protect their systems and information from threats. It can include the processes an organization follows to ensure security, the technology infrastructure and the roles that govern this area.
What is the difference between encryption and hashing?
Encryption is the process of converting plaintext data into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and a key.
Hashing is a one way process where data of any size is converted into a fixed-length output (often called a “digest”) using a hash function.
