hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: An analyst sees an alert for 'SQL injection' but…
An analyst sees an alert for 'SQL injection' but the target is an internal application that only accepts POST requests with JSON data. The alert was triggered by a parameter in the URL. What is the most likely issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the concept that a signature alert is not automatically a true positive—candidates must correlate the alert's trigger (e.g., URL parameter) with the application's actual input processing (e.g., only accepting JSON POST data) to identify a false positive due to vector mismatch.
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
✓
False positive due to mismatch
The alert was triggered by a parameter in the URL, but the target application only accepts POST requests with JSON data. Since SQL injection via a URL parameter is impossible against an application that does not process URL parameters, the alert is a false positive caused by a mismatch between the signature's expected attack vector and the actual application behavior.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Application vulnerability
Why it's wrong here
No evidence of vulnerability beyond the alert.
- ✓
False positive due to mismatch
Why this is correct
The signature triggered on a non-relevant parameter.
- ✗
True positive SQL injection
Why it's wrong here
The application does not use URL parameters for SQL, so unlikely.
- ✗
Signature misconfiguration
Why it's wrong here
Signature is correctly detecting SQL patterns, but the context is wrong.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-201 question from scratch — 979 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.