CEH Practice Question: Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

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

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  Cross-site scripting (XSS)

  Why it's wrong here

  Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a client-side code injection attack where malicious scripts, typically JavaScript, are injected into legitimate web pages. These scripts are then executed in the victim's browser, allowing attackers to bypass access controls, steal session cookies, or deface websites. This attack primarily targets the end-user's browser and manipulates the content rendered there, rather than forcing the server to initiate internal network requests.

• ✓

  Server-side request forgery (SSRF)

  Why this is correct

  Server-side request forgery (SSRF) exploits a vulnerability where a web application is tricked into making requests to an arbitrary domain specified by the attacker. This allows an attacker to force the server to connect to internal services, such as metadata APIs, internal databases, or other hosts within the organization's private network, which are typically not directly accessible from the internet. The "client sends a reque" could be the initial malicious input that triggers the server to make an unintended internal request.

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  Directory traversal

  Why it's wrong here

  Directory traversal, also known as path traversal, is an attack that allows an attacker to access files and directories stored outside the intended web root directory. This is achieved by manipulating file paths, typically using sequences like `../` or `..\`, to navigate the server's file system. The objective is to read or write arbitrary files on the server, not to compel the server to initiate network connections to other services or internal hosts.

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  SQL injection

  Why it's wrong here

  SQL injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with the queries an application makes to its database. Attackers insert malicious SQL code into input fields, which is then executed by the database server. This can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, and in some cases, remote code execution on the database server itself, but it does not involve forcing the web server to make arbitrary network requests to other internal or external services.

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