Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
EDR on a workstation shows winword.exe spawning powershell.exe with hidden, no-profile, and encoded arguments. No new executable is written to disk. Minutes later, a scheduled task creation is blocked, but the same host continues making HTTPS requests to a cloud IP address. Which malware category best fits 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.
A
Distractor review
Trojan, because the malicious activity likely started from a user-opening event.
A trojan often arrives disguised as legitimate software, but this stem emphasizes memory-only execution and living-off-the-land tooling rather than a simple fake application dropper.
B
Distractor review
Worm, because the host is making repeated outbound network connections.
Worms self-replicate across systems, usually exploiting network services. Outbound beaconing alone does not prove replication or lateral spread.
C
Distractor review
Rootkit, because the process is using hidden commands and network connections.
Rootkits are designed to hide presence at the kernel or boot level. Hidden PowerShell and no disk artifact point more strongly to fileless execution than stealthy kernel tampering.
D
Best answer
Fileless attack, because the payload is executed in memory using legitimate scripting tools and leaves little on disk.
Fileless attack is the best fit because the sequence uses trusted built-in tools, encoded PowerShell, and no obvious executable drop on disk. The suspicious behavior happens in memory and through script interpretation, which makes detection harder than with traditional malware files. The blocked scheduled task and later HTTPS beaconing are consistent with in-memory execution and persistence attempts after initial delivery.
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.
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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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Fileless attack, because the payload is executed in memory using legitimate scripting tools and leaves little on disk. — This is a classic fileless attack pattern. The user starts execution from a document, PowerShell runs with hidden and encoded flags, and no new binary is dropped to disk. That combination shows abuse of legitimate tools and memory-based payload execution. The later network beaconing suggests the attacker is maintaining command-and-control while trying to remain unobtrusive to file-based scanners. Why others are wrong: Trojan is too generic and usually implies a malicious program disguised as something useful. Worm does not fit because there is no evidence of self-propagation. Rootkit is about stealth and hiding system components, but the key clue here is fileless, script-based execution with no disk artifact.
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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