200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
An intrusion detection system alerts on HTTP traffic containing the string 'UNION SELECT' in the URI parameter. This is most indicative of what type of attack?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between injection types by using specific payload strings; the trap here is confusing SQL injection with command injection because both involve 'injection', but the 'UNION SELECT' syntax is unique to SQL and not used in command injection or other attacks.
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
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SQL injection
The alert detects the string 'UNION SELECT' in a URI parameter, which is a classic SQL injection payload used to combine results from multiple database queries. This indicates an attacker is attempting to manipulate SQL queries by injecting malicious SQL code through user input, a hallmark of SQL injection attacks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
SQL injection
Why this is correct
Correct. UNION SELECT is a classic SQL injection technique.
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Command injection
Why it's wrong here
Command injection uses system commands, not SQL.
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Cross-site scripting
Why it's wrong here
XSS uses script tags, not SQL keywords.
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Directory traversal
Why it's wrong here
Directory traversal uses '../' patterns.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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