CEH Network and Web Application Attacks Practice Question
During a penetration test, you notice that a web application accepts user input and displays it directly in the browser without sanitization. Which attack is most likely to succeed?
⚠ Common exam trap
EC-Council often tests the distinction between reflected XSS and stored XSS; the trap here is that candidates may assume any unsanitized input is SQL injection, but the key clue is direct display in the browser without server-side processing like database queries or command execution.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
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 (XSS)
The scenario describes a classic reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. The application accepts user input and displays it directly in the browser without sanitization, allowing an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript that executes in the victim's browser. This is the defining characteristic of XSS, not SQL injection or command injection, which target server-side interpreters.
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 exploits vulnerabilities in an application's database queries, allowing an attacker to insert or manipulate SQL commands. This typically affects the backend database server, enabling data exfiltration, modification, or even complete database compromise, rather than directly manipulating content displayed in the user's browser. The attack targets the data layer, not the client-side rendering.
- ✗
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Why it's wrong here
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) tricks a victim's browser into sending an authenticated request to a vulnerable web application, leveraging the victim's existing session. The attack does not involve injecting malicious scripts into the application's output; instead, it exploits trust in the user's browser to perform unauthorized actions on their behalf, such as changing passwords or transferring funds, without the user's explicit consent.
- ✓
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Why this is correct
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) occurs when a web application incorporates untrusted data into a web page without proper validation or encoding, allowing attackers to inject client-side scripts. In the case of reflected XSS, the malicious script is immediately returned by the web server in its response and executed by the user's browser, directly impacting the content displayed to the user. This vulnerability directly manifests as unsanitized input being rendered in the browser.
- ✗
Command Injection
Why it's wrong here
Command Injection vulnerabilities arise when an application executes user-supplied input as part of an operating system command without sufficient sanitization. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary shell commands, which are then executed on the server hosting the web application. The impact is server-side command execution, not client-side manipulation of browser output or user interface elements.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Vulnerability Analysis
Key term
SQL injection
SQL injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with the queries an application makes to its database, often to read, modify, or destroy data.
Key term
Cross Site Scripting XSS
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability where an attacker injects malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, enabling theft of data or session hijacking.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CEH practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CEH exam.