hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CCSP Volatile memory acquisition Practice Question
A security analyst is conducting a forensic investigation of a compromised virtual machine in a public cloud. The VM is running in a production environment and cannot be stopped. Which of the following techniques is MOST appropriate to acquire volatile memory evidence?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may assume cloud providers offer memory snapshot APIs, but in reality, such APIs either require stopping the instance or are not available. The `dd` command, while having drawbacks (root access, potential system alteration), is the only option that actually captures volatile memory in a running instance.
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
✓
Run `dd if=/dev/mem of=/tmp/mem.dump` from within the VM.
The most appropriate technique to acquire volatile memory evidence from a running VM without stopping it. While `dd if=/dev/mem` requires root privileges and may not be available on all VM configurations, it is the only option among the choices that directly captures RAM contents. Cloud providers do not offer native APIs to take a memory snapshot without halting the instance; disk snapshots (option A) capture storage only, and network packet captures (option B) do not include memory data. Therefore, in this scenario, running `dd` from within the VM is the feasible method, despite its limitations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a snapshot of the VM's disk and then analyze it.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A disk snapshot captures the storage volumes, not the volatile memory (RAM).
- ✗
Perform a network packet capture to capture memory data.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Network packet capture only records traffic, not the contents of memory.
- ✗
Use the cloud provider's API to take a memory snapshot of the VM.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Cloud providers do not offer native APIs to capture VM memory snapshots without stopping the instance; this is a common misconception.
- ✓
Run `dd if=/dev/mem of=/tmp/mem.dump` from within the VM.
Why this is correct
Correct. While not ideal, `dd if=/dev/mem` is a standard Linux command to dump memory, and it is the only option listed that can acquire volatile evidence from a running VM.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP 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 CCSP exam.