A penetration tester is running a vulnerability scan on a company’s network. The scan identifies an open port with a high-severity vulnerability linked to outdated software. What is the most appropriate next step for the tester?
A.
Execute a denial-of-service (DoS) attack on the open port
B.
Perform a brute-force attack on the service running on the open port
C.
Research the vulnerability and determine if it has a publicly available exploit
D.
Ignore the vulnerability and focus on finding more vulnerabilities
CEH v13 outlines a structured approach to vulnerability assessment and exploitation. After identifying a high-severity vulnerability, the next critical step is verification and research, not immediate exploitation. This ensures accuracy, reduces false positives, and avoids unnecessary risk. CEH emphasizes that testers must validate vulnerability details, confirm version applicability, assess exploit availability (e.g., Metasploit, Exploit-DB), and evaluate potential impact. Attempting DoS attacks (Option A) is prohibited unless explicitly scoped and does not align with responsible testing. Brute-force attacks (Option B) are unrelated to software version vulnerabilities. Ignoring the issue (Option D) violates CEH methodology. The correct process is to research and verify—ensuring exploitation is safe, relevant, and authorized. This aligns with CEH’s vulnerability management lifecycle: discovery → verification → prioritization → exploitation (when allowed) → reporting.
Contribute your Thoughts:
Chosen Answer:
This is a voting comment (?). You can switch to a simple comment. It is better to Upvote an existing comment if you don't have anything to add.
Submit