CS0-003 Security Operations Practice Question
During a threat hunting exercise, a hunter creates a hypothesis that a threat actor is using PowerShell to download payloads from a remote server. Which ATT&CK technique is the hunter most likely investigating?
⚠ Common exam trap
CS0-004 often tests the overlap between PowerShell execution (T1059.001) and the payload download behavior (T1105) — candidates pick the execution technique when the hypothesis is specifically about transferring a tool into the 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
✓
T1105 - Ingress Tool Transfer
T1105 (Ingress Tool Transfer) covers the adversary transferring tools or payloads into the victim environment from an external system, including via PowerShell downloads. The hypothesis — PowerShell downloading payloads from a remote server — maps directly to the transfer of a tool into the environment. T1059.001 describes PowerShell execution itself, but the specific behavior of pulling a payload in is T1105.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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T1047 - Windows Management Instrumentation
Why it's wrong here
While Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) can be abused by adversaries for lateral movement, execution, or information gathering, it is not the technique used to pull external files into the network. The hypothesis specifically targets the mechanism of downloading tools or payloads, which falls outside of WMI's primary administrative and query capabilities.
- ✓
T1105 - Ingress Tool Transfer
Why this is correct
This technique precisely describes the action of an adversary transferring tools, utilities, or malware payloads from an external system into the target environment. When a threat hunter focuses on detecting PowerShell-based file downloads, they are specifically hunting for evidence of this ingress activity to identify initial staging or tool installation.
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T1071.001 - Web Protocols
Why it's wrong here
Although web protocols like HTTP or HTTPS are commonly leveraged as the transport medium to facilitate file downloads, T1071.001 represents the Command and Control (C2) channel itself. The specific action of copying a tool onto the local system is classified under ingress transfer rather than the underlying communication protocol used to carry the traffic.
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T1059.001 - PowerShell
Why it's wrong here
PowerShell is categorized under Command and Scripting Interpreter as an execution technique. While an adversary may execute commands or scripts via PowerShell to initiate a file download, the primary objective of the hunter's hypothesis is the transfer of the tool itself, making Ingress Tool Transfer the more accurate and specific classification for the download behavior.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) and STIX/TAXII
Key term
Threat
A threat is any potential danger that could harm a computer system, network, or data, whether from a malicious hacker, a natural disaster, or an accidental mistake.
Key term
Threat actor
A threat actor is any person or group that intentionally causes harm to digital systems, networks, or data.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.