hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A company's IDS generates an alert for a…
A company's IDS generates an alert for a potential SQL injection attack on a web application. The analyst reviews the log and sees the following: "SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = 'admin' OR 1=1 --'". Which action should the analyst take next?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the candidate's ability to follow a proper incident response triage process—specifically, the trap is that candidates jump to a reactive action (like blocking IPs or patching) instead of first verifying whether existing controls (like a WAF) already mitigated the threat.
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
✓
Verify if the WAF blocked the attack
The analyst's first priority is to determine whether the attack was actually successful or was already mitigated. A Web Application Firewall (WAF) sits in front of the web application and can inspect and block SQL injection payloads before they reach the database. By verifying the WAF logs, the analyst can confirm if the attack was blocked, which dictates the next steps—if blocked, no immediate escalation is needed; if not blocked, further investigation is required.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Submit a change request to patch the application
Why it's wrong here
Patching is a remediation task requiring change approval and does not address the active exploitation attempt in the log. It is tempting because the vulnerable query string suggests a code flaw, but patching would be correct only after the immediate incident is contained and investigated.
- ✗
Conduct a forensic analysis of the database
Why it's wrong here
Forensic analysis preserves and examines evidence but does not stop an ongoing injection attempt against a live application. It is tempting because the malicious payload warrants investigation, yet forensics would be the correct choice only once the immediate threat is contained and evidence is at risk.
- ✓
Verify if the WAF blocked the attack
Why this is correct
The log shows a classic tautology-based SQL injection payload, but detection alone does not confirm exploit success. Checking whether the WAF blocked the request establishes whether the attack reached the database, determining if escalation to incident response is required.
- ✗
Block the source IP immediately
Why it's wrong here
Blocking one source IP is trivially bypassed and does not address the vulnerable query, leaving the application exploitable. It is tempting because blocking is a fast containment measure, but it would be correct only when the source is confirmed malicious and the vulnerability is otherwise mitigated.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
WAF
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security tool that filters, monitors, and blocks HTTP traffic to and from a web application to protect it from common attacks.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.