hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISM Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Firewall Rule (inbound): allow tcp any any 22 (SSH) log Firewall Rule (inbound): allow tcp 10.0.0.0/24 any 3389 (RDP) log Firewall Rule (inbound): allow tcp any any 80 (HTTP) log Firewall Rule (inbound): allow tcp any any 443 (HTTPS) log Firewall Rule (inbound): allow tcp 10.0.0.0/24 any 3306 (MySQL) log
Refer to the exhibit. An organization uses these firewall rules. After a breach, the IR team finds that the attacker gained access via SSH from an external IP. Which rule is most likely misconfigured?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may focus on other risky services (MySQL, RDP) or security controls (HTTPS inspection) instead of identifying the specific rule that directly matches the attack vector (SSH from external IP) and its misconfiguration (permissive source).
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
✓
SSH is allowed from any source instead of only internal
The firewall rule allowing SSH from any source (0.0.0.0/0) is misconfigured because it permits external attackers to attempt brute-force or credential-based access via TCP port 22. The principle of least privilege dictates that SSH should be restricted to specific internal IP ranges or management jump hosts, not exposed to the internet. The IR team's finding that the attacker gained access via SSH from an external IP directly confirms this rule as the root cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
MySQL should be blocked entirely
Why it's wrong here
MySQL is allowed only from internal, which is reasonable.
- ✗
RDP should not be allowed
Why it's wrong here
RDP is only allowed from internal network, which is acceptable.
- ✗
HTTPS should be inspected
Why it's wrong here
Inspection is a separate measure; the rule itself is not misconfigured.
- ✓
SSH is allowed from any source instead of only internal
Why this is correct
Correct: SSH should be restricted to specific trusted IPs.
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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.