XDR-Analyst Identity Threat Detection And Response Practice Question
Which THREE indicators collected by Cortex XDR endpoint agents are crucial for identifying post-exploitation credential harvesting activities on a host?
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
✓
Unauthorized process memory access requests targeting lsass.exe
Credential harvesting leaves traces such as suspicious LSASS process access, memory dumping tool executions, and unexpected credential file access (e.g., SAM hive reads).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Changes to desktop background wallpaper settings
Why it's wrong here
Wallpaper modifications do not indicate credential harvesting.
- ✓
Unauthorized process memory access requests targeting lsass.exe
Why this is correct
Reading LSASS memory is the primary mechanism for tools like Mimikatz to extract plaintext credentials.
- ✓
Access attempts against the Windows Registry Security (SAM) and SYSTEM hives
Why this is correct
Dumping the SAM hive allows attackers to extract offline password hashes.
- ✓
Execution of known credential dumping utility command-lines or renamed binaries
Why this is correct
BIOCs track execution patterns of known credential harvesting tools.
- ✗
Default web browser cache clearing
Why it's wrong here
Clearing browser cache is a user privacy action, not a primary post-exploitation indicator.
About these practice questions
This XDR-Analyst question is part of Courseiva's 210-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Palo Alto Networks exam blueprint
This XDR-Analyst practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 XDR-Analyst exam.