200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
An analyst is reviewing a web server log and sees the following entry: '192.168.1.1 - - [25/Oct/2023:10:15:30 -0400] "GET /admin/index.php?cmd=id HTTP/1.1" 200 1532 "-" "Mozilla/5.0"'. What potential attack does this log entry suggest?
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
✓
Command injection
The presence of 'cmd=id' in the URL suggests an attempt to execute the 'id' command via a web shell or command injection vulnerability. The response code 200 indicates success, which is concerning.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Command injection
Why this is correct
The query string passes 'cmd=id' to a PHP script, indicating the attacker is attempting to execute the shell command 'id' via an unsanitised parameter. A 200 response suggests the command injection succeeded, satisfying the log evidence for this attack type.
- ✗
SQL injection
Why it's wrong here
The query string passes cmd=id to a PHP script, indicating command injection via shell execution, not SQL injection. SQL injection would manipulate database queries through crafted input such as UNION SELECT or OR 1=1. It is tempting because both attacks exploit unsanitised input in web parameters, and SQL injection remains the more commonly tested web vulnerability.
- ✗
Directory traversal
Why it's wrong here
Directory traversal uses ../ sequences to escape the web root and read arbitrary files; this request passes a shell command via cmd=id, which is command injection. It is tempting because both abuse unsanitised input, and traversal would be correct for a request containing ../ path segments.
- ✗
Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Why it's wrong here
XSS would contain script tags like <script>.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 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 200-201 exam.