PT0-002 Attacks and Exploits Practice Question
A penetration tester is performing a web application test and identifies a potential SQL injection vulnerability. Which TWO methods can the tester use to confirm the vulnerability and extract data?
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
✓
Blind time-based SQL injection
UNION-based and blind time-based are classic SQL injection techniques. XSS and command injection are different attacks. XXE is also different.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
XXE injection
Why it's wrong here
XXE abuses XML external entity parsing to read files or reach internal services, which does not confirm a SQL injection point or dump database records. It is tempting as another injection category, and it would be correct where the application parses untrusted XML with external entities enabled.
- ✗
Command injection
Why it's wrong here
Command injection targets the operating system shell, not the SQL parser, so it neither confirms the SQL flaw nor extracts database content. It is tempting because it is another injection class, and it would be correct where user input reaches a shell call and the tester wants OS-level command execution.
- ✓
Blind time-based SQL injection
Why this is correct
Blind time-based SQL injection confirms the vulnerability without visible output: the tester injects conditional delays (for example WAITFOR DELAY or SLEEP) and infers true/false from response timing, satisfying the stem's requirement to confirm and extract data when the application returns no query results or error messages.
- ✗
XSS injection
Why it's wrong here
XSS injects script that executes in a victim's browser, so it cannot confirm a SQL injection flaw or retrieve database rows. It is tempting because both are injection flaws found during web testing, and XSS is the right choice when the goal is stealing session cookies or executing client-side script.
- ✓
UNION-based SQL injection
Why this is correct
UNION-based SQL injection appends a crafted SELECT statement to the original query, merging attacker-controlled columns into the result set. This directly satisfies the requirement to confirm the vulnerability and extract data, since the injected UNION returns database contents within the application's normal response, unlike blind techniques that infer data indirectly.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Lateral Movement Techniques
Key term
Command injection
Command injection is a security vulnerability where an attacker inserts malicious commands into a system through an input field, tricking the application into executing them on the underlying operating system.
Key term
XSS
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
About these practice questions
This PT0-003 question is part of Courseiva's 777-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PT0-003 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 PT0-003 exam.