hardMultiple Choice
CISM Practice Question: An organization's IDS logs show multiple outbound…
An organization's IDS logs show multiple outbound connections to an external IP address from a server that normally communicates only internally. The logs indicate the process is running under the SYSTEM account. Which of the following BEST describes the likely root cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the distinction between the immediate symptom (outbound connections) and the underlying root cause (a backdoor from a prior compromise), leading candidates to mistakenly choose privilege escalation (D) because they focus on the SYSTEM account rather than the established persistence.
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
✓
A backdoor installed via a previous compromise
The SYSTEM account is the highest-privileged local account on Windows, and outbound connections from a server that normally only communicates internally strongly indicate a backdoor. A backdoor installed via a previous compromise would allow an attacker to maintain persistent remote access, often running as SYSTEM to evade detection and control the server. This matches the observed behavior of unauthorized outbound traffic from a privileged process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A backdoor installed via a previous compromise
Why this is correct
Outbound connections to an external IP from an internal-only server, running under SYSTEM, indicate attacker persistence via a backdoor established during an earlier compromise. SYSTEM-level execution and anomalous egress match command-and-control behaviour rather than legitimate administrative activity.
- ✗
A misconfigured application
Why it's wrong here
A misconfigured application would typically run under its own service account, not SYSTEM, and its outbound traffic would usually be expected or documented. The SYSTEM account executing unexpected external connections indicates process injection or a malicious service. Misconfiguration fits scenarios where legitimate software contacts unintended endpoints under its configured identity.
- ✗
An authorized administrative activity
Why it's wrong here
Authorised administrative activity would originate from a known admin account or change record, not SYSTEM making repeated outbound connections to an external IP. It is tempting because legitimate maintenance, patching or remote management does generate outbound traffic, and would be the answer if the stem showed a scheduled task or approved change window.
- ✗
A privilege escalation exploit
Why it's wrong here
A privilege escalation exploit grants higher permissions on the host, but the stem already shows SYSTEM-level execution, so escalation adds nothing explanatory. It is tempting because SYSTEM context often signals compromise, and escalation would be the answer if the process ran under a low-privileged account and required elevation to reach SYSTEM.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISM 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 CISM exam.