hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A penetration tester is analyzing a PowerShell script that uses the 'Invoke-Command' cmdlet to execute commands on remote machines, and 'Set-Service' to change service startup types. What attack is this script most likely performing?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
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A penetration tester is analyzing a PowerShell script that uses the 'Invoke-Command' cmdlet to execute commands on remote machines, and 'Set-Service' to change service startup types. What attack is this script most likely performing?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Best answer

Remote service modification for persistence.

By using Invoke-Command to run Set-Service on remote machines, the attacker can enable services or set them to auto-start, ensuring their backdoor continues to run after restart.

B

Distractor review

Lateral movement via PsExec.

While Invoke-Command can be used for lateral movement, the script does not show service creation or binary execution. Set-Service is specifically about changing service configuration, not executing commands as a service.

C

Distractor review

Credential dumping.

Credential dumping would involve accessing LSASS or the SAM database. This script does not include any credential access techniques like Invoke-Mimikatz.

D

Distractor review

Data exfiltration.

Data exfiltration would involve transferring files or data off the network. There is no indication of data transfer or compression in the described script.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
  • PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
  • Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
  • NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

  • Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
  • Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
  • Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Related practice questions

Related PT0-002 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PT0-002 question test?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Remote service modification for persistence. — The combination of remote command execution (Invoke-Command) and service manipulation (Set-Service) suggests an attack focused on establishing persistence or enabling malicious services on remote systems. Changing a service's startup type to 'Automatic' ensures that a malicious service (or a modified legitimate service) will start upon boot, maintaining access after a reboot. This is a common technique for persistence in post-exploitation.

What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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