hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: A security review of the above Apache…
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot "/var/www/html"
<Directory "/var/www/html">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Require all granted
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>
```A security review of the above Apache configuration identifies a critical vulnerability. Which of the following is the MOST significant issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often focus on access control (Require all granted) or override permissions (AllowOverride All) as the most critical issue, but the immediate and direct information disclosure from directory listing (Indexes) is typically the most severe in a standard web server configuration.
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
✓
Directory listing is enabled (Indexes option)
The Indexes option in Apache enables directory listing, which exposes the entire contents of a directory when no index file (e.g., index.html) is present. This can reveal sensitive files, configuration backups, or source code, making it a critical information disclosure vulnerability. Unlike other options, Indexes directly leads to unauthorized data exposure without requiring any additional conditions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Default DocumentRoot path is used
Why it's wrong here
Using the default path is not a security vulnerability; it may be a configuration drift but not critical.
- ✓
Directory listing is enabled (Indexes option)
Why this is correct
The Indexes option allows attackers to browse directory contents, potentially exposing sensitive files.
- ✗
AllowOverride All allows .htaccess overrides
Why it's wrong here
While AllowOverride All can be a security concern, it is not as directly exploitable as directory listing.
- ✗
Require all granted permits all access
Why it's wrong here
Require all granted is a common setting for web servers and is not inherently a vulnerability.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISA exam.