hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A penetration tester is using a vulnerability scanner to assess an internal network. The scanner reports a critical vulnerability in a custom web application, but manual verification shows the application is not vulnerable. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this false positive?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
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A penetration tester is using a vulnerability scanner to assess an internal network. The scanner reports a critical vulnerability in a custom web application, but manual verification shows the application is not vulnerable. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this false positive?

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

Distractor review

The scanner used an outdated vulnerability database that does not match the application's patches

An outdated database could also cause false positives, but the more specific cause is version-based detection that doesn't account for custom modifications.

B

Distractor review

The scanner identified the application version from the HTTP response header, but the vulnerability was already patched in that version

This is plausible but not as common as the next option. Many scanners use version strings but may not correctly correlate patches.

C

Best answer

The scanner detected a vulnerable library used by the application, but the application's implementation does not expose the vulnerable code path

This is a classic false positive: the scanner sees the library version but cannot determine if the vulnerable functionality is reachable. The tester must manually validate.

D

Distractor review

The scanner performed an exploit attempt that succeeded on a different service on the same host

This would indicate a true positive on another service, not a false positive on the custom application.

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: The scanner detected a vulnerable library used by the application, but the application's implementation does not expose the vulnerable code path — Vulnerability scanners often rely on banner grabbing or version detection. If the application uses a library or component that has the same version string as a known vulnerable version, but the vulnerable code has been patched or the library is used in a different way, the scanner may incorrectly flag it. This is a common source of false positives.

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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