A penetration tester is conducting passive reconnaissance on a target organization. The tester wants to identify the technologies and frameworks used by the target's web application without making any requests to the target's servers. Which resource is BEST suited for this task?
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.
Distractor review
Nmap service scan with -sV
Nmap service scan sends packets to the target and is an active scanning technique, which may be detected and is not passive.
Distractor review
Shodan.io
Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices, but it relies on active scanning of IP ranges and is not purely passive for a specific target's web application.
Best answer
BuiltWith.com
BuiltWith.com is a passive reconnaissance tool that catalogues technology profiles from public data, allowing identification of frameworks and libraries without interacting with the target.
Distractor review
Wappalyzer browser extension
Wappalyzer is a browser extension that analyzes the response from a visited website; it requires visiting the site, which is an active interaction and not purely passive.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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.
Question 1
A penetration tester is writing the executive summary for a report. The client's CEO needs to understand the business impact of a critical SQL injection vulnerability. Which of the following should the tester include?
Question 2
A penetration tester has gained a low-privileged shell on a Linux server. During enumeration, the tester discovers a binary with the SUID bit set that belongs to root and is known to have a buffer overflow vulnerability. What is the MOST effective next step to escalate privileges?
Question 3
A penetration tester is performing passive reconnaissance against a target domain. Which of the following resources can be used to gather information about the target without directly sending packets to the target's network? (Select two.) (Choose 2.)
Question 4
A penetration tester has obtained a TGT from a domain controller by cracking the krbtgt hash. Which attack can the tester now perform to gain persistent administrative access to any resource in the domain?
Question 5
A penetration tester is writing the executive summary for the final report. The CEO needs to understand the overall risk level and the business impact of the findings. Which of the following should be included in the executive summary?
Question 6
A penetration tester is writing the executive summary of a penetration test report. Which of the following elements is MOST important to include for a non-technical audience?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PT0-002 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: BuiltWith.com — BuiltWith.com is an online service that aggregates publicly available data about websites, including technologies used. It does not require sending any requests to the target server, making it ideal for passive reconnaissance. Nmap service scans (active), Shodan (active scanning of internet-facing systems), and the Wappalyzer browser extension (requires visiting the target site) are active or semi-active techniques.
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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