hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: An analyst is reviewing Sysmon logs from a…
An analyst is reviewing Sysmon logs from a compromised host. They see Event ID 1 (Process creation) for cmd.exe with parent process winword.exe. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between normal application behavior and process injection or parent-child anomalies; the trap here is assuming that any cmd.exe launch is benign or user-initiated, when the parent process (winword.exe) is the key indicator of macro-based compromise.
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
✓
A macro in a Word document executed cmd.exe as part of the attack
Event ID 1 (Process creation) with parent process winword.exe spawning cmd.exe is a classic indicator of a macro-based attack. Microsoft Word is not designed to launch command-line interpreters under normal operation; when cmd.exe appears as a child of winword.exe, it strongly suggests that a malicious macro within the document executed a shell command, often to download payloads, escalate privileges, or perform reconnaissance. This aligns with common phishing and malware delivery techniques where attackers embed VBA macros to execute system commands.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The Windows Update service initiated cmd from Word
Why it's wrong here
Windows Update does not launch cmd from Word.
- ✗
The user launched cmd.exe manually from within Word using a shortcut
Why it's wrong here
Unlikely; cmd launched from Word is abnormal.
- ✗
Word crashed and created a dump file using cmd
Why it's wrong here
Crash dumps are not created by cmd.
- ✓
A macro in a Word document executed cmd.exe as part of the attack
Why this is correct
Common technique: macro calls cmd to download or execute payload.
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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.