CS0-003 Vulnerability Management Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing a DAST report from Burp Suite for a web application. The report indicates a potential Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in a feature that fetches URLs. Which of the following is the most effective mitigation?
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
✓
Use a whitelist of allowed URLs and validate user input against it.
SSRF can be mitigated by validating and sanitizing user input, whitelisting allowed URLs, and blocking access to internal networks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use a whitelist of allowed URLs and validate user input against it.
Why this is correct
Implementing a strict whitelist of permitted domains or IP addresses is the most effective mitigation against Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF). By validating all user-supplied input against this predefined list at the application layer, the server is restricted from initiating outbound connections to arbitrary external destinations or internal loopback addresses. This directly neutralizes the threat vector while maintaining necessary application functionality.
- ✗
Disable the URL fetching feature entirely.
Why it's wrong here
While disabling the URL fetching capability would eliminate the SSRF vulnerability, it is an overly aggressive measure that disrupts legitimate business operations. If the application relies on fetching external resources, such as profile pictures or API data, to function correctly, disabling this feature entirely breaks core functionality. Security controls should enable business objectives securely rather than disabling required features.
- ✗
Increase memory limits on the server to prevent resource exhaustion.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the server's memory limits is an infrastructure adjustment that fails to address the underlying SSRF vulnerability. SSRF allows attackers to abuse server-side functionality to read internal resources, bypass firewalls, or scan internal networks, none of which are mitigated by allocating more RAM. This approach misidentifies the security flaw as a denial-of-service issue rather than an unauthorized access and request forgery issue.
- ✗
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block malicious requests.
Why it's wrong here
Although a Web Application Firewall (WAF) can provide a layer of defense-in-depth by detecting common SSRF payloads, it is not a primary remediation strategy. Attackers can easily bypass WAF signatures using alternative encodings, DNS rebinding, or obfuscated IP addresses. True remediation requires fixing the application code itself through strict input validation and whitelisting rather than relying on perimeter-based filtering.
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Key term
DAST
DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) is a security testing method that finds vulnerabilities in running web applications by simulating real attacks from the outside.
Key term
SSRF
A security vulnerability where an attacker tricks a server into making unauthorized requests to internal or external resources on behalf of the attacker.
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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.