CEH Web Application and Injection Attacks Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Blind XSS

  Why it's wrong here

  Blind XSS requires the payload to be stored and later executed in a different context, such as an admin panel or log viewer, not immediately reflected in the same HTTP response. In this scenario, the input is submitted via a GET parameter and returned directly without encoding, which is the classic mechanism of reflected XSS. Blind XSS is tempting because it also involves unsanitised input, but it would be correct only if the payload were stored server-side and triggered later in a separate user session.

• ✓

  Reflected XSS

  Why this is correct

  Reflected Cross-Site Scripting occurs when a malicious script, typically injected via a URL parameter or form input, is immediately returned by the web server in the HTTP response without proper sanitization. The payload is not stored on the server; instead, it is executed client-side in the victim's browser only when they click a specially crafted link. This non-persistent nature means the attack targets individual users who interact with the malicious URL directly.

• ✗

  DOM-based XSS

  Why it's wrong here

  DOM-based Cross-Site Scripting is a client-side vulnerability where the malicious payload never reaches the server but is executed entirely within the victim's browser by manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM). This occurs when client-side script processes user-supplied data unsafely, dynamically modifying the page's DOM structure. The vulnerability arises from insecure JavaScript code that reads data from the URL (e.g., document.URL, location.hash) and writes it back into the DOM without proper encoding.

• ✗

  Stored XSS

  Why it's wrong here

  Stored Cross-Site Scripting, also known as Persistent XSS, involves injecting a malicious script that is permanently saved on the target web server, typically in a database, comment section, or forum post. When other users subsequently access the compromised web page, the stored script is retrieved from the server and executed in their browsers. This makes it a highly impactful attack as a single injection can affect numerous users over an extended period without further attacker interaction.

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