CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are effective methods to protect against server-side request forgery (SSRF) in a cloud application? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that input sanitization alone is sufficient for SSRF protection, when in reality the attack exploits the server's trust in the destination, not the input format, making whitelisting and scheme restrictions the effective controls.
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
✓
Whitelist allowed outbound destinations
Whitelisting allowed outbound destinations is a primary defense against SSRF. By explicitly permitting only trusted external hosts (e.g., specific API endpoints or internal services), the application cannot be tricked into making requests to arbitrary internal or external targets, even if an attacker controls the URL parameter.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use SSL inspection to check for malicious payloads
Why it's wrong here
SSL inspection does not prevent SSRF.
- ✓
Whitelist allowed outbound destinations
Why this is correct
Whitelisting prevents requests to internal or malicious hosts.
- ✗
Block all outbound network traffic from the application
Why it's wrong here
Blocking all outbound may break functionality.
- ✓
Disable unused URL schemes such as file:// and dict://
Why this is correct
Disabling uncommon schemes reduces attack surface.
- ✗
Sanitize all user input for URL parameters
Why it's wrong here
Input validation can be bypassed; defense in depth needed.
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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.