hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CAS-004 Practice Question: A company's web application uses single sign-on…
A company's web application uses single sign-on (SSO) via SAML. Security analysts notice that attackers are able to forge SAML responses to impersonate users. Which misconfiguration is most likely causing this vulnerability?
⚠ Common exam trap
The CAS-004 exam often tests the distinction between transport-layer security (TLS) and message-level security (signing); candidates mistakenly choose 'SSL/TLS not enforced' because they conflate encryption with integrity/authentication, but TLS only protects data in transit, not the authenticity of the SAML assertion itself.
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
✓
SAML responses are not signed
SAML assertions must be cryptographically signed by the identity provider (IdP) to ensure integrity and authenticity. If SAML responses are not signed, an attacker can forge a response containing arbitrary user attributes (e.g., a privileged role) and impersonate any user because the service provider (SP) cannot verify the response's origin. This is the most direct cause of the described impersonation vulnerability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SSL/TLS is not enforced for the SAML endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Lack of encryption exposes data in transit but does not directly enable forgery.
- ✓
SAML responses are not signed
Why this is correct
Unsigned responses can be intercepted and modified by an attacker.
- ✗
The identity provider's metadata is not verified
Why it's wrong here
Metadata verification ensures authenticity of IdP, but forgery requires message tampering.
- ✗
Clock skew between SP and IdP exceeds the allowed tolerance
Why it's wrong here
Clock skew causes assertion to be rejected, not forged.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.