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.
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The scanner used an outdated vulnerability database that does not match the application's patches
An outdated database could also cause false positives, but the more specific cause is version-based detection that doesn't account for custom modifications.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Discussion
Sign in to join the discussion.