212-89 Practice Questions

The vulnerability exploited by Clark through tampering with form and parameter values to gain

unauthorized access to information assets is indicative of Broken Access Control. Broken Access

Control vulnerabilities occur when a web application does not properly enforce restrictions on what

authenticated users are allowed to do. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to access

unauthorized functionality or data, such as accessing other users' accounts, viewing sensitive files,

and modifying other users’ data.

The data preprocessing step performed by Johnson, where he analyzes user activities within a certain

time period to create time-ordered domain sequences for further analysis on sequential patterns, is

known as user-specific sessionization. This process involves aggregating all user activities and

requests into discrete sessions based on the individual user, allowing for a coherent analysis of user

behavior over time. This is critical for identifying patterns that may indicate a watering hole attack,

where attackers compromise a site frequently visited by the target group to distribute malware.

User-specific sessionization helps in isolating and examining sequences of actions taken by users,

making it easier to detect anomalies or patterns indicative of such an attack.

Reference:The ECIH v3 certification materials discuss various data preprocessing techniques used in

the analysis of cyber attacks, including the concept of sessionization to better understand user

behavior and detect threats.

When Investigator Ian gives you a drive image to investigate, the type of analysis you are performing

is static analysis. Static analysis involves examining the contents of a drive, file, or binary without

executing the system or the application. It's about analyzing the data at rest. This type of analysis is

crucial for forensics investigations because it allows for the examination of files, directories, and

system information without altering any state or data, thereby preserving the integrity of the

evidence. Static analysis is contrasted with dynamic analysis, which involves analyzing a system in

operation (real-time or live) or executing the application to observe its behavior.

Reference:Incident Handler (ECIH v3) courses and study guides highlight the importance of static

analysis in digital forensics, detailing methods for examining disk images, files, and other digital

artifacts to gather evidence without compromising its integrity.

An active assessment involves using automated tools to scan and probe the network actively to

identify hosts, services, and vulnerabilities. This type of assessment directly interacts with the

network components to gather information about the existing security posture, unlike passive

assessments, which analyze traffic without sending packets to the target systems. Dickson's

approach, employing automated tools to identify the network's hosts, services, and vulnerabilities,

fits the definition of an active assessment. This method provides a more immediate understanding of

the network's vulnerabilities, allowing for timely remediation actions.

Reference:The ECIH v3 program includes discussions on vulnerability assessment techniques,

highlighting the differences between active and passive assessments and their applicability in

identifying network security issues.

Risk assumption involves accepting the potential risk and continuing to operate the IT system while

implementing controls to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. This strategy acknowledges that

some level of risk is inevitable and focuses on managing it through mitigation measures rather than

eliminating it entirely. Risk avoidance would entail taking actions to avoid the risk entirely, risk

planning involves preparing for potential risks, and risk transference shifts the risk to another party,

typically through insurance or outsourcing. Risk assumption is a pragmatic approach that balances

the need for operational continuity with the imperative of risk management.

Reference:The ECIH v3 certification program covers various risk mitigation strategies, emphasizing

the selection of the appropriate approach based on the organization's risk tolerance and the specific

context of the threat.

Restoring web application services with the help of existing backups, as performed by Robert, falls

under the Recovery stage of the Incident Handling and Response (IH&R) process. The Recovery stage

involves actions taken to return the organization to normal operations after an incident, which

includes restoring systems to their operational state using backups, patching vulnerabilities, and

ensuring that all systems are clean and secure before being brought back online. This step is crucial

for resuming business operations and mitigating the impact of the incident.

Bob is in the Investigation phase of the forensic investigation process. This phase involves the

detailed examination and analysis of the collected evidence to identify the source of the crime and

the perpetrator behind the incident. It is a crucial step that follows the acquisition and preservation

of evidence, where the incident responder applies various techniques and methodologies to analyze

the evidentiary data. This analysis aims to uncover how the cybercrime was committed, trace the

activities of the culprit, and gather actionable intelligence to support legal actions and prevent future

incidents.

Reference:The ECIH v3 certification materials discuss the stages of a forensic investigation,

emphasizing the investigation phase as the point at which the incident responder analyzes evidence

to draw conclusions about the incident's specifics.

When malware moves from the delivery stage to the exploitation stage in the cyber kill chain, its

objective often shifts to identifying exploitable vulnerabilities within the targeted system. A port scan

is a technique used to discover services that are listening on ports within a system. By scanning the

system's ports, the malware can identify open ports and the services running on them, providing

valuable information about potential entry points for further exploitation. This type of

reconnaissance attack is aimed at gathering intelligence on the target system's network services,

which can then be reported back to a command and control center for further malicious activity

planning.

Port scanning is more relevant than IP range sweeps, packet sniffing, or session hijacking for

identifying useful services on a system because it directly targets the discovery of accessible network

services and their corresponding ports. While the other methods can also be part of the

reconnaissance phase, they serve different purposes: IP range sweeps aim to identify active IP

addresses, packet sniffing intercepts data packets to gather information, and session hijacking

involves taking over a valid user session. In contrast, port scanning is specifically designed to

enumerate services that could be exploited.

Reference:The ECIH v3 certification materials discuss various reconnaissance techniques used by

attackers, including port scanning, as part of the exploitation stage of the kill chain. Understanding

these techniques is crucial for incident handlers in identifying how attackers gather information and

plan their attacks.

In the context of incident handling and response (IH&R), the preparation phase is the initial step

where teams and resources are organized to effectively respond to potential security incidents. This

phase involves building the IH&R team, developing incident response plans and policies, setting up

communication channels, and ensuring that the team has the necessary tools and authority to act.

James, being assigned to build an IH&R plan and organize his team, is engaging in the preparation

step of the incident response process. This foundational step is crucial for ensuring a coordinated and

efficient response to incidents when they occur.

Reference:The importance of the preparation phase in the incident response lifecycle is emphasized

in various cybersecurity frameworks and guidelines, including those covered in ECIH v3 certification

materials, which detail the roles, responsibilities, and planning necessary to establish an effective

incident response capability.

The term "broken account management" refers to vulnerabilities in the account management

functions of web applications, which can weaken valid authentication schemes. This can include

issues with how accounts are created, updated, managed, and deleted, as well as how users recover

forgotten passwords or perform password resets. Poorly implemented account management

functions can allow attackers to bypass authentication, elevate privileges, or assume the identity of

another user. This weakness is a significant security concern because it directly impacts the ability of

a system to safeguard user data and maintain operational integrity.

Reference:In its training materials, the ECIH v3 program addresses various web application

vulnerabilities, including broken account management, emphasizing the importance of secure

development practices and regular security assessments to prevent such issues.