The answer is stored (persistent) cross-site scripting (XSS). This is correct because the malicious script, `<script>alert(1)</script>`, is submitted through a web form, stored on the server, and then executed in the browsers of other users who view the comment—this persistence on the server side is what distinguishes stored XSS from reflected or DOM-based variants. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of input validation and output encoding failures; a common trap is confusing stored XSS with reflected XSS, but remember that stored XSS involves data that is permanently saved and served to multiple users, while reflected XSS only appears in immediate responses like search results. A useful memory tip: think "store and serve"—if the payload is saved in a database and later displayed to others, it's stored XSS.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A web form stores a user's comment and later displays it to other users. A tester submits <script>alert(1)</script> and the script runs in the browser. What vulnerability is this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cross-site scripting
The tester's input <script>alert(1)</script> is executed in the browser, which is the classic symptom of a stored (persistent) cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. The web form fails to sanitize or encode user-supplied data before storing it and later rendering it in other users' browsers, allowing arbitrary JavaScript to run in the security context of the application's origin.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
SQL injection
Why it's wrong here
SQL injection targets database queries, not browser execution of injected script code.
✗
Cross-site request forgery
Why it's wrong here
CSRF tricks a logged-in user into making unwanted actions, not running injected script.
✓
Cross-site scripting
Why this is correct
The application reflects untrusted input into a page without proper encoding, allowing script execution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Command injection
Why it's wrong here
Command injection abuses server-side OS commands, not JavaScript running in a browser.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse XSS with SQL injection because both involve injecting malicious input, but XSS targets the browser's execution context while SQL injection targets the database query layer.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Command injection abuses server-side OS commands, not JavaScript running in a browser.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Stored XSS occurs when user input is persisted (e.g., in a database or file) and later served to other users without proper output encoding. In this case, the <script> tag is rendered as HTML and executed by the browser's HTML parser because the application does not escape characters like < and > to their HTML entities (< and >). A real-world scenario is a comment system that stores malicious scripts; when an admin views the comment, the script steals session cookies, leading to account takeover.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cross-site scripting — The tester's input <script>alert(1)</script> is executed in the browser, which is the classic symptom of a stored (persistent) cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability. The web form fails to sanitize or encode user-supplied data before storing it and later rendering it in other users' browsers, allowing arbitrary JavaScript to run in the security context of the application's origin.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. 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?
medium
A.Reflected cross-site scripting, because the payload only appears in the current request response.
✓ B.Stored cross-site scripting, because the malicious script is saved and served to other users later.
C.Command injection, because the script runs inside the web server process.
D.Session fixation, because the attacker wants the victim to use an old session ID.
Why B: The employee's profile bio is saved to the server and later served to other users who view the profile. This is the defining characteristic of stored (persistent) cross-site scripting (XSS): the malicious script is permanently stored on the target server and executed in the browsers of other users when they retrieve the stored data.
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This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
Question Discussion
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