CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is using Volatility to analyze a memory dump from a compromised Windows system. The analyst suspects that a rootkit is hiding processes. Which Volatility plugin should the analyst use to detect hidden processes?
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
✓
psxview
The 'psxview' plugin compares process listings from different sources (e.g., EPROCESS list, PspCidTable) to find discrepancies, which can reveal hidden processes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
pslist
Why it's wrong here
pslist lists processes from the EPROCESS list but may not detect hidden processes that are unlinked from that list.
- ✓
psxview
Why this is correct
psxview cross-references multiple process lists to identify hidden processes.
- ✗
malfind
Why it's wrong here
malfind identifies injected code, not hidden processes.
- ✗
pstree
Why it's wrong here
pstree shows parent-child relationships but relies on the same EPROCESS list.
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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.