hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-901 Practice Question: A financial services company deploys a multi-tier…
A financial services company deploys a multi-tier application on Cisco UCS with separate VMs for web, app, and database tiers. The security team runs a vulnerability scan and finds that the web server is vulnerable to SQL injection. The development team cannot fix the code immediately because of a pending third-party library update. The company needs to deploy a security control to mitigate the vulnerability as soon as possible without changing the application. Which of the following is the best immediate mitigation?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between network-layer controls (like segmentation) and application-layer controls (like WAF), trapping candidates who think isolating the database server stops SQL injection, when in fact the malicious SQL commands are generated by the web server itself after the attack has already succeeded.
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
✓
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the web server to filter malicious SQL patterns
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) operates at Layer 7 and can inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic for malicious payloads, such as SQL injection patterns, without requiring any changes to the application code. By deploying a WAF in front of the web server, the company can immediately filter out malicious SQL patterns (e.g., ' OR 1=1 --) using signature-based or behavioral rules, providing a virtual patch until the code fix is available. This aligns with the requirement to mitigate the vulnerability without modifying the application itself.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the web server to filter malicious SQL patterns
Why this is correct
A WAF can provide virtual patching without code changes, blocking SQL injection attempts.
- ✗
Implement network segmentation to isolate the web server from the database server
Why it's wrong here
Segmentation reduces the impact but does not prevent SQL injection attacks from reaching the database.
- ✗
Apply input validation on the web server by configuring the web server itself to sanitize inputs
Why it's wrong here
Input validation requires application-level changes; web servers typically do not have built-in input validation for application logic.
- ✗
Apply the latest security patches to the web server operating system
Why it's wrong here
OS patches do not fix application-level vulnerabilities like SQL injection.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 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 200-901 exam.