CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
During a penetration test, the tester has gained initial access to a web server and wants to move laterally to a database server. Which technique is most commonly used for lateral movement in a Windows environment?
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
✓
Pass-the-Hash
Pass-the-Hash allows an attacker to authenticate to other systems using NTLM hashes without knowing the plaintext password, enabling lateral movement.
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 it's wrong here
SQL injection is typically used for initial access, not lateral movement between servers.
- ✗
Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Why it's wrong here
XSS is a web application attack, not used for lateral movement in network environments.
- ✓
Pass-the-Hash
Why this is correct
Pass-the-Hash enables lateral movement by using harvested password hashes to authenticate to other systems.
- ✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing is a man-in-the-middle technique on local networks, not typical for lateral movement between servers.
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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.