hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
350-701 Practice Question: Is evaluating a web application firewall (WAF)…
A security engineer is evaluating a web application firewall (WAF) rule set. The application uses a custom REST API that accepts JSON payloads. Which WAF rule is most effective at preventing SQL injection attacks while minimizing false positives?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that generic signature sets are universally effective, but the trap here is that custom APIs with JSON payloads require context-aware parsing to avoid false positives and catch injection in non-keyword forms.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a rule that parses JSON and checks for abnormal structures that indicate injection
JSON-based APIs require context-aware parsing to detect SQL injection within structured payloads. A rule that parses JSON and checks for abnormal structures can identify injection attempts (e.g., nested objects or unexpected keys) without relying on simple keyword matching, which reduces false positives. This approach aligns with the WAF's ability to decode and inspect JSON fields for malicious SQL patterns while ignoring benign data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply a generic SQL injection signature set from the WAF vendor
Why it's wrong here
Generic signatures may cause false positives in JSON data due to different formats.
- ✗
Block requests containing 'SELECT' or 'UNION' in the URL
Why it's wrong here
Blocking keywords is simplistic and may block legitimate traffic; SQL injection can be encoded.
- ✗
Set the maximum request size to 10 MB
Why it's wrong here
Request size limits do not prevent SQL injection.
- ✓
Use a rule that parses JSON and checks for abnormal structures that indicate injection
Why this is correct
JSON-specific validation reduces false positives while catching injection attempts.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.