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ISC2 CC Practice Question: A SOC analyst is reviewing logs from a web server…

A SOC analyst is reviewing logs from a web server and sees the following entry: GET /../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1 Which type of attack is being attempted?

⚠ Common exam trap

ISC2 often tests directory traversal by including a file path like '/etc/passwd' in the URL, which candidates may mistakenly associate with SQL injection or XSS due to the presence of 'passwd' or the GET method, but the key indicator is the '../' sequence indicating file system navigation.

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 traversal

The log entry shows a GET request with '../' sequences attempting to navigate outside the web root to access the '/etc/passwd' file. This is the classic signature of a directory traversal attack, which exploits insufficient path sanitization to read arbitrary files on the server. The correct answer is C because the attack targets the file system, not the application's data layer or client-side scripts.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Cross-site scripting

    Why it's wrong here

    XSS involves injecting script into web pages.

  • ✗

    SQL injection

    Why it's wrong here

    SQLi involves injecting SQL queries.

  • ✓

    Directory traversal

    Why this is correct

    The '..' sequence indicates an attempt to navigate directories.

  • ✗

    Cross-site request forgery

    Why it's wrong here

    CSRF tricks user into performing actions.

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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.