Pass the The SecOps Group AppSec Practitioner CAP Questions and answers with CertsForce

The code snippet loads a JavaScript file from a third-party CDN with integrity and crossorigin attributes. Let’s analyze what these attributes do:

The integrity attribute specifies a Subresource Integrity (SRI) hash (e.g., sha384-Fmb0CYeA6gM2uLuyvqs7x75u0mktDh2nKLomp3PHkJ0b5vJF2qF6Gbrc/6dK), which the browser uses to verify the integrity of the loaded script. If the script’s content does not match the hash, the browser will not execute it, protecting against tampering (e.g., if the CDN is compromised).

The crossorigin="anonymous" attribute ensures the request does not send credentials (e.g., cookies) and allows the script to be loaded from a different origin while enabling CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing).

Option A ("The code snippet will perform validations for Cross-Site Scriptingattacks"): Incorrect. XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) involves injecting malicious scripts into a page. The integrity attribute ensures the script’s integrity but does not validate the script’s content for XSS vulnerabilities (e.g., if the script itself contains malicious code). XSS prevention requires other measures, like Content Security Policy (CSP) or input sanitization.

Option B ("The code snippet will perform validations for Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks"): Incorrect. CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) involves tricking a user into making unintended requests. The integrity and crossorigin attributes do not address CSRF, which requires server-side protections like CSRF tokens.

Option C ("The code snippet will perform Subresource Integrity (SRI) checks"): Correct. The integrity attribute explicitly enables SRI, ensuring the browser verifies the script’s hash before execution. This protects against supply chain attacks where a third-party script might be modified maliciously.

Option D ("The code snippet will perform validations for Outdated Javascript checks"): Incorrect. The snippet does not check for outdated JavaScript versions. SRI ensures the script matches the expected hash but does not validate the script’s version or security status.

The correct answer is C, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Subresource Integrity (SRI)" and "Third-Party Script Security."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "SRI Implementation," "Third-Party Resource Security," and "OWASP Secure Coding Practices" sections.

The code snippet shows HTML <meta> and <link> tags, along with a <script> tag, loading external resources:

Bootstrap CSS from cdnjs.cloudflare.com (version 4.1.1)

jQuery JavaScript from cdnjs.cloudflare.com (version 3.3.1)

Let’s evaluate the potential vulnerabilities:

The resources are loaded from a third-party CDN (cdnjs.cloudflare.com), and the versions specified (Bootstrap 4.1.1 and jQuery 3.3.1) may have known vulnerabilities. For instance, jQuery 3.3.1 has known XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2019-11358) that can be exploited if the library is used insecurely. Similarly, Bootstrap 4.1.1 has known issues (e.g., CVE-2018-14041) related to XSS in certain components like tooltips or modals if not configured properly.

The use of outdated or vulnerable third-party components is aComponent with a Known Vulnerability, a common issue in web applications. The CAP syllabus emphasizes identifying and mitigating risks from third-party libraries, especially those with known CVEs.

Option A ("SQL Injection"): SQL injection occurs in server-side database queries, not in client-side HTML or JavaScript loading. This code snippet does not involve database interaction, so this is incorrect.

Option B ("Type Juggling"): Type juggling is a PHP-specific vulnerability where loose type comparison (== vs ===) leads to security issues. This code is HTML/JavaScript, not PHP, so type juggling does not apply.

Option C ("Component with a Known Vulnerability"): As explained, the use of potentially outdated jQuery and Bootstrap versions introduces the risk of known vulnerabilities, making this the most applicable answer.

Option D ("Server-Side Request Forgery"): SSRF involves tricking the server into making unauthorized requests, which is not relevant here as the code loads resources in the browser, not on the server.

The correct answer is C, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Component Vulnerabilities" and "OWASP Top 10 (A09:2021 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities)."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Third-Party Component Security," "Software Supply Chain Security," and "OWASP Top 10" sections.

The payload {{7*7}} is a common test string used to detectServer-Side Template Injection (SSTI)vulnerabilities. SSTI occurs when user input is improperly rendered within a server-side template engine (e.g., Jinja2, Freemarker, or Handlebars), allowing the execution of arbitrary template expressions. If the server evaluates {{7*7}} and returns 49 (the result of 7 multiplied by 7), it indicates that the server is processing the input as a template expression, confirming an SSTI vulnerability. This can potentially lead to remote code execution if the template engine supports advanced features.

Option A ("Server Side Template Injection (SSTI)"): Correct, as {{7*7}} is a standard payload to test for SSTI by checking if the server evaluates the expression.

Option B ("Client-Side Template Injection (CSTI)"): Incorrect, as CSTI involves client-side rendering (e.g., JavaScript templates like Mustache), and {{7*7}} would not be evaluated on the client unless explicitly designed to do so, which is not implied here.

Option C ("Both 1 and 2"): Incorrect, as the payload specifically targets server-side processing.

Option D ("None of the above"): Incorrect, as SSTI is applicable.

The correct answer is A, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Server-Side Template Injection" and "Input Validation."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "SSTI Vulnerabilities," "Template Engine Security," and "OWASP Injection Prevention" sections.

Cookies can have security attributes to enhance their protection against various attacks. The question asks which attribute ensures that the cookie is only sent over a TLS (encrypted) channel, meaning it is transmitted securely via HTTPS and not over unencrypted HTTP.

Option A ("Secure"): The Secure attribute ensures that the browser only sends the cookie over a secure, encrypted connection (i.e., HTTPS). If a request is made over HTTP, the browser will not include the cookie, preventing it from being intercepted in plaintext. This is the correct answer.

Option B ("HttpOnly"): The HttpOnly attribute prevents the cookie from being accessed by JavaScript (e.g., via document.cookie), mitigating XSS attacks that steal cookies, but it does not enforce transmission over TLS.

Option C ("No_XSS"): This is not a valid cookie attribute; it appears to be a made-up termand does not relate to TLS enforcement.

Option D ("None of the above"): Incorrect, as the Secure attribute directly addresses the requirement.

The correct answer is A, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Cookie Security" and "Session Management."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Cookie Security Attributes," "Secure Session Management," and "OWASP Session Management Cheat Sheet" sections.

The request is a GET to /dashboard.php with a purl parameter (http://attacker.com). The response is a 302 Found redirect with a Location: http://attacker.com header, indicating the server redirects the client to the URL specified in the purl parameter. Let’s evaluate the statements:

Option A ("Application is likely to be vulnerable to Open Redirection vulnerability"): Correct. Open Redirection occurs when an application redirects to a user-supplied URL without validation. Here, the purl parameter (http://attacker.com) is directly used in the Location header, allowing an attacker to redirect users to a malicious site (e.g., for phishing). This is a classic Open Redirection vulnerability if the application does not restrict redirects to trusted domains.

Option B ("Application is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability"): Incorrect. CSRF involves tricking a user into making an unintended request (e.g., via a malicious form). This response does not indicate a CSRF issue; there’s no evidence of state-changing actions or lack of CSRF tokens.

Option C ("Application uses an insecure protocol"): Incorrect. The request is made over HTTP, and the redirect is to an HTTP URL (http://attacker.com), which is insecure, but the response itself does not indicate the protocol used for the initial request. The server could be using HTTPS for the initial response; the insecure protocol is in the redirect destination, which relates to the Open Redirection issue, not the application’s protocol usage broadly.

Option D ("All of the above"): Incorrect, as only A is true.

The correct answer is A, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Open Redirection Vulnerabilities" and "URL Redirection Attacks."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Open Redirection," "Input Validation for Redirects," and "OWASP Top 10 (A10:2021 - Server-Side Request Forgery)" sections.

Hashing algorithms are used to securely store passwords by transforming them into fixed-length strings. A secure hashing algorithm for passwords should be resistant to collision attacks, preimage attacks, and brute-force attempts, and should be slow to compute to deter attackers. Let’s evaluate the options:

Option A ("SHA-0"): SHA-0 is the original version of the SHA family, published in 1993, but it was quickly withdrawn due to serious cryptographic weaknesses (e.g., collision vulnerabilities). It is not secure and should not be used.

Option B ("MD5"): MD5 is a widely used hash function but is cryptographically broken. It is vulnerable to collision attacks (e.g., practical attacks demonstrated since 2004) and is extremely fast, making it unsuitable for password hashing as it can be brute-forced easily.

Option C ("SHA-1"): SHA-1, part of the SHA family, is also considered broken for security purposes. It has known collision vulnerabilities (e.g., the SHAttered attack in 2017 demonstrated practical collisions), and like MD5, it is too fast for secure password hashing.

Option D ("Bcrypt"): Bcrypt is specifically designed for password hashing. It is a slow hashing algorithm with a configurable work factor (cost factor), making it resistant to brute-force attacks. It also includes a built-in salt to prevent rainbow table attacks. Bcrypt is widely recommended by security standards (e.g., OWASP, NIST) for secure password storage and is the most secure option among those listed.

The correct answer is D, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Password Hashing" and "Cryptographic Best Practices."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Secure Password Storage," "Hashing Algorithms," and "OWASP Password Storage Cheat Sheet" sections.

The screenshot shows a login form where the user coder@viewer attempts to log in, and the application responds with "User does not exist." Let’s evaluate the statements:

Option A ("The application is vulnerable to username enumeration"): Correct. Username enumeration occurs when an application reveals whether a username exists in the system, often through distinct error messages. Here, the message "User does not exist" for coder@viewer directly indicates that the username is invalid, allowing an attacker to enumerate valid usernames by testing different inputs and observing the responses (e.g., "Invalid password" for existing users vs. "User does not exist"). Best practice is to use generic error messages like "Invalid username or password" to prevent enumeration.

Option B ("The application is vulnerable to brute-force attacks"): Incorrect. There’s no evidence in the screenshot of a lack of brute-force protections (e.g., rate limiting, account lockout). Brute-force vulnerability would require additional context, such as no CAPTCHA or no lockout mechanism, which is not shown.

Option C ("The application does not enforce a strong password policy"): Incorrect. The screenshot does not provide information about password requirements (e.g., length, complexity), so we cannot conclude whether a strong password policy is enforced.

Option D ("None of the above"): Incorrect, as A is true.

The correct answer is A, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Username Enumeration" and "Authentication Security."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Authentication Best Practices," "Enumeration Attacks," and "OWASP Authentication Cheat Sheet" sections.

In WordPress, the file that stores database connection details, including the database name, username, password, and host, iswp-config.php. This file is located in the root directory of a WordPress installation and is critical for configuring the connection to the MySQL database. It contains constants like DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST, which must be protected from unauthorized access to prevent database compromise.

Option A ("wp-configuration.php"): A common misspelling; the correct file name lacks the extra "ation."

Option B ("wp-conf.php"): This is not a valid WordPress file name.

Option C ("wp-secret.php"): This is not a standard WordPress file.

Option D ("wp-config.php"): The correct and official file name used by WordPress.

The correct answer is D, aligning with the CAP syllabus under "Configuration Management" and "Application Security."References: SecOps Group CAP Documents - "Application Configuration," "WordPress Security," and "Database Security" sections.