A company portal lets employees save a short profile bio. One employee enters a string containing script code, and later other users who view that profile are redirected to a fake sign-in page. What vulnerability best explains this behavior?
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
Reflected cross-site scripting, because the payload only appears in the current request response.
Reflected XSS is returned immediately in the response, but this scenario affects later viewers after the content is saved.
Best answer
Stored cross-site scripting, because the malicious script is saved and served to other users later.
Stored XSS occurs when malicious script is persisted by the application, such as in a profile field, comment, or message. Every user who later loads the page receives the harmful content. The redirection to a fake sign-in page shows that the script is executing in other users’ browsers, which makes this a stored, not reflected, attack. Proper output encoding and input handling are needed to prevent it.
Distractor review
Command injection, because the script runs inside the web server process.
Command injection targets operating system commands on the server, not client-side script execution in another user’s browser.
Distractor review
Session fixation, because the attacker wants the victim to use an old session ID.
Session fixation involves controlling or reusing a session token, which is not what this profile-field script is doing.
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.
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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 laptop is suspected of being used in a malware incident. It is still powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. What should the responder do before shutting it down?
Question 2
An employee reports a ransomware note on a file server. The server is still powered on, shares are still being accessed, and management wants service restored as quickly as possible. What should the incident response team do first?
Question 3
An employee reports a ransomware note on a finance laptop. The laptop is still powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and the user says they were just working in a spreadsheet. Management wants the fastest safe response that also preserves evidence. What should the responder do first?
Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
A developer wants to reduce the risk of SQL injection in a new customer search form. Which two changes are the best mitigations? Select two.
Question 6
A branch office uses a flat LAN, and a compromise on one user workstation could spread quickly to finance systems. Management wants finance workstations isolated from general users, but finance staff still need access to a central finance application and network printer. What is the best design change?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Stored cross-site scripting, because the malicious script is saved and served to other users later. — This is stored cross-site scripting. The malicious script is saved in the application’s data store and later rendered to other users when they view the profile. Because the payload executes in their browsers, it can steal credentials, redirect users, or perform actions on their behalf. The key clue is persistence across page views and impact on multiple users rather than only on the original submission request. Why others are wrong: Reflected XSS appears only in the immediate response to a request, not later when someone else views saved content. Command injection would execute on the server, not in the browser. Session fixation involves controlling a session identifier and does not explain script execution from a stored profile field. The persistence and cross-user impact point directly to stored XSS.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 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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