Penetration Testing
Question
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.
Answers
Explanations
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A. B. C. D. E. F. G.ABDEFG.
Penetration testing is a simulated attack on a computer system, network, or web application, to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker. The objective of the penetration testing is to identify security weaknesses and provide recommendations for remediation. Here is the explanation of the areas that can be exploited during a penetration test:
A. Race Conditions: A race condition is a software flaw that occurs when two or more processes or threads access a shared resource at the same time. In a race condition, the outcome of the operation depends on the timing of the processes, and this can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to a system.
B. Social Engineering: Social engineering is the practice of manipulating individuals into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to a system. Social engineering can take different forms, such as phishing, pretexting, baiting, and tailgating.
C. Information System Architectures: Information system architecture refers to the way different components of a computer system are designed and integrated. The architecture of a system can be exploited if it has weaknesses that can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to the system or compromise its security.
D. Buffer Overflows: Buffer overflow is a common software vulnerability that occurs when a program tries to write more data to a buffer than it can hold. This can cause the program to crash or create a security vulnerability that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the system.
E. Kernel Flaws: A kernel is the core component of an operating system that manages the system's resources and provides a layer of abstraction between the hardware and software. A kernel flaw is a vulnerability that exists in the kernel, and it can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the system or to escalate privileges.
F. Trojan Horses: A Trojan horse is a type of malware that is disguised as legitimate software but has malicious intent. Trojan horses can be used to gain unauthorized access to a system or to steal sensitive information.
G. File and Directory Permissions: File and directory permissions refer to the access control mechanisms that restrict or grant access to files and directories. Misconfigured permissions can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to files and directories or to escalate privileges.
In conclusion, during a penetration test, all of the above areas can be exploited to find vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access to a system or to compromise its security.
