CS0-003 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is creating a Sigma rule to detect use of the LOLBin 'certutil' for downloading payloads. Which THREE command-line arguments should the rule look for to indicate malicious use?
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
✓
-urlcache
Certutil can be abused to download files using the '-urlcache' and '-split' arguments (or '-f' for force). The combination of '-urlcache' with a URL and output file is typical for downloading malicious payloads. '-verify' is legitimate, '-encode' and '-decode' are used for encoding/decoding, but '-urlcache' and '-split' are key for download.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
-urlcache
Why this is correct
Used to download files from a URL.
- ✓
-split
Why this is correct
Used to split the download; often combined with -urlcache.
- ✗
-encode
Why it's wrong here
Encodes a file to base64; typically not for downloading.
- ✓
-decode
Why this is correct
Decodes a base64 file; can be used to decode downloaded payloads.
- ✗
-verify
Why it's wrong here
Verifies a certificate chain; legitimate use.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Security Metrics and KPIs
Key term
Sigma rule
A Sigma rule is a generic, YAML-based detection rule format used in cybersecurity to describe suspicious activities in a way that can be easily shared and converted for use across different security information and event management (SIEM) systems.
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CS0-004 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 CS0-004 exam.