Free CompTIA CAS-004 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 11

A network traffic analyzer (also known as a packet sniffer) is the best tool to identify credentials being transmitted in plaintext, such as those used in Telnet sessions. Since Telnet transmits data without encryption, a network traffic analyzer can capture the traffic between the client and the network switches, revealing sensitive information, including login credentials, in clear text. This tool helps identify insecure protocols and enables remediation by switching to encrypted alternatives like SSH. CASP+ highlights the importance of using secure protocols and tools like traffic analyzers to identify vulnerabilities in network communications.

LAN:

Workstation

Workstation

Shared Services Zone:

File server

Authentication server

Database server

Screened Subnet (DMZ):

Web server

Email proxy

VPN concentrator

Let's Map Them by Zone

????LAN (Top Right, 2 boxes) – Workstations only

Workstation

Workstation

????Shared Services Zone (Middle Row) – Internal-use servers

File server

Authentication server

Database server

????Screened Subnet / DMZ (Bottom Row) – Public-facing services

Web server

Email proxy

VPN concentrator

✅Remaining Workstations:

Go in theLAN(you’ll have two more slots)

✅Final Assignment:

LAN (Top Right)

Workstation

Workstation

Shared Services Zone (Middle Row)

File server

Authentication server

Shared Services Zone (Middle Row)

Database server

Workstation❌←This is not allowed!(Needs to go elsewhere)

So we must placeall 4 workstationsinto theLAN, and all 3 internal servers into themiddlerow.

Corrected Mapping:

LAN (Top Right - 2 slots)

Workstation

Workstation

Middle Row (Shared Services Zone - 2 boxes)

File server

Authentication server

Bottom Row (Shared Services or DMZ - 3 boxes)

Database server

Web server

Email proxy / VPN concentrator

Comprehensive and Detailed in-Depth Explanation:

Problem Statement:

The development team identifiesmajor issues in codeduring the development phase, indicatingflawed or vulnerable code.

To prevent similar problems in the future, anautomated and integrated solutionis needed tocatch issues early.

Why the Correct Answer is A (Implementing a static analysis tool within the CI/CD system):

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)is used toanalyze source codefor vulnerabilitiesbefore the code is compiled.

Integrating SAST into theCI/CD pipelineensures that:

Issues are detectedearly in the development process.

Developers getimmediate feedbackon vulnerabilities or code flaws.

Security checks areautomated, reducing human error and oversight.

This proactive approach helps inearly detection of syntax errors, insecure coding practices, and vulnerabilities.

Example of CI/CD Integration:

A typicalGitLab CI/CD pipelinecould include aSAST stage:

yaml

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sast:

stage: test

script:

- ./sast_tool analyze src/

allow_failure: false

This setup ensures that the code is scanned for vulnerabilitiesbefore deployment.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Configuring a dynamic application security testing tool:

DASTanalyzes applications duringruntime.

It identifiesvulnerabilities in running applications, butcannot catch issues during development.

SAST is better forearly detectionsince it examines thesource codeitself.

C. Performing software composition analysis on all third-party components:

WhileSCAidentifies vulnerabilities inthird-party libraries, it does not addresscoding issues in the organization’s own codebase.

It is useful fordependency management, not for catchingsource code flaws.

D. Utilizing a risk-based threat modeling approach on new projects:

Threat modeling helps inidentifying risks and potential attack vectors.

While useful in planning, it does not providecontinuous detectionof coding flaws.

It is morestrategicand less focused on thedevelopment pipeline.

E. Setting up an interactive application security testing tool:

IASTworks byanalyzing application behavior during testing.

It requires the application to bedeployed and running, making it less suitable forearly detection during development.

SAST remains superior forcatching flaws before deployment.

Key Benefits of SAST in CI/CD:

Early Detection:Finds issues during thecoding phase, preventing costly fixes later.

Automated Security:Scans eachcode commit, ensuring consistent checks.

Developer Friendly:Providesactionable insightsright within the development environment.

Integration Capabilities:Compatible with popular CI/CD tools likeJenkins, GitLab CI, and Azure Pipelines.

Real-World Example:

A software company integratedSAST into their CI/CD pipelineusingSonarQube.

As a result, they reduced the number ofcritical vulnerabilitiesdiscovered after deployment by60%.

Developers couldfix issues on the spot, minimizing the time and effort required to address security flaws later.

Extract from CompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Study Guide:

TheCompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Official Study Guideemphasizes thatintegrating security testing into the CI/CD pipelineis crucial forDevSecOps. It states thatSAST toolsare essential foridentifying vulnerabilities earlyin the development process, helping organizations adopt ashift-left security approach.

Regular operating system patching is critical to mitigating vulnerabilities. When a Snort IDS rule is provided to identify a CVE, it typically means there is a known vulnerability that can be exploited. Keeping systems updated with the latest patches helps to close off these vulnerabilities and protect against exploitation.

An API gateway is the best solution to meet the specified requirements for securely providing public access to specific data. An API gateway allows the administrator to control HTTP methods like POST and GET, ensure secure transmission via TLS 1.2 or greater, and enforce authentication using bearer tokens. It also allows access control by specifying URLs for different types of data. API gateways centralize security and traffic management for APIs, making them ideal for this type of secure access scenario. CASP+ emphasizes the importance of API gateways in managing and securing web application interfaces.

Option C (Continuously monitor key risk indicators):Continuously monitoring key risk indicators (KRIs) ensures real-time visibility of changes in the attack surface, allowing for prompt identification of unexpected systems and minimizing risk.

Option A (Update the risk profile):Updating the risk profile reflects current risks but does not actively prevent the reoccurrence of unexpected systems.

Option B (Minimize errors in metrics):Reducing errors in metrics is useful for accuracy but does not directly address attack surface management.

Option D (Reduce assessment costs):Reducing costs does not mitigate or prevent the reoccurrence of external-facing systems.

Segmentation isolates the vulnerable server into a separate network segment, reducing its exposure to potential attackers. By implementing firewalls or virtual LANs (VLANs), segmentation minimizes the risk of lateral movement and external exploitation, aligning with CASP+ objective 1.3, which emphasizes implementing appropriate compensating controls to address vulnerabilities.

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Before migrating previously isolated systems to the cloud, it is essential to perform patching and hardening. These systems may have been neglected while isolated, so updating them with the latest security patches and applying hardening measures (such as disabling unnecessary services and implementing strict access controls) is crucial to reduce vulnerabilities. This ensures that the systems are secure before they are exposed to the wider cloud environment. CASP+ emphasizes the importance of securing systems through patch management and hardening before integrating them into more exposed environments like the cloud.

Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data, like credit card numbers, with unique identification symbols (tokens) that retain all the essential information without compromising its security. This method is compliant with PCI DSS requirements as it ensures that actual credit card data is not stored or processed, thus minimizing the risk of data breaches. Tokenization also maintains confidentiality even if part of the data handling system is compromised, as the tokens do not hold any exploitable data.

Step by Step Explanation:

Drive encryption protects sensitive data at rest by ensuring unauthorized access cannot expose the data if the physical endpoint is compromised.

Patch management is a necessary security control but does not specifically address endpoint hardening for sensitive data.

Event logging aids in monitoring and incident detection but does not directly harden endpoints.

Resource monitoring manages system performance and availability but is unrelated to data security.

Geofencing to disable mobile and wearable devices prevents the tracking of staff by disabling GPS and other location-based services. This measure aligns with CASP+ objective 3.2, which includes protecting sensitive facilities against surveillance and unauthorized tracking.

An inspection proxy, also known as an SSL/TLS inspection proxy, can decrypt HTTPS traffic, allowing the IDS to analyze the content for malicious activity. This method ensures that encrypted traffic can be inspected without compromising the security of the data in transit. The inspection proxy will re-encrypt the data before sending it on to its destination, maintaining the confidentiality of the communication while enabling security tools to perform their functions.

Comprehensive and Detailed in-Depth Explanation:

Understanding Path Traversal:

Path Traversalvulnerabilities occur when an applicationimproperly handles user input, allowing an attacker totraverse directorieson the server andaccess restricted files.

Attackers typically use sequences like../to move up directory levels, allowing access to critical files such as:

/etc/passwd(on Linux)

C:\Windows\system32(on Windows)

Example of Vulnerable Code:

python

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import os

def read_file(filename):

with open("/var/www/app/" + filename, "r") as f:

return f.read()

If the inputfilenameis../../etc/passwd, the file/etc/passwdmight be exposed.

Why the Correct Answer is A (Develop a secure library for file handling that normalizes and validates the input path):

Themost effective defense against path traversalis tosanitize and normalizefile paths before processing.

Techniques include:

Input Validation:Restricting input toexpected patterns, such as specific filenames or directories.

Path Normalization:Using functions likeos.path.normpath()to collapse redundant separators and up-level references.

Absolute Path Verification:Ensuring that theresolved pathis within anexpected directory.

Using asecure library for file handlingcentralizes these practices, reducing the risk of inconsistent or incomplete implementations.

Example of Secure Implementation:

python

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import os

def secure_read_file(filename):

# Normalize and validate the input path

safe_base = "/var/www/app/"

safe_path = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(safe_base, filename))

# Check if the path starts with the base directory

if os.path.commonprefix([safe_base, safe_path]) == safe_base:

with open(safe_path, "r") as f:

return f.read()

else:

raise ValueError("Invalid file path")

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

B. Create a sandbox for the application that disallows filesystem access:

Sandboxing is useful forlimiting damagebut does notdirectly address the root causeof path traversal.

Path traversal can still occurwithin the sandbox, compromising other files.

C. Ensure that output encoding is appropriately implemented on all data fields:

Encoding addressesinjection attacks(like XSS), not path traversal.

Encoding does notmitigate directory traversalvulnerabilities.

D. Implement a blocklist for a specific set of meta characters:

Blocklists are prone tobypass techniques(e.g., using alternative encodings or unexpected separators).

Ablocklist approachisless reliablecompared towhitelisting and path normalization.

E. Deploy a code sandbox solution that reduces the application's permissions:

Reducing permissionslimits damagebut does notprevent traversal attacks.

Attackers can still exploitpath traversalto access unintended data within permitted areas.

Real-World Scenario:

A path traversal vulnerability in a popular CMS allowed attackers to readconfiguration filesanddatabase credentials.

Thefix involved using safe librariesfor file handling andnormalizing pathsto ensure they were withinpermitted directories.

Extract from CompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Study Guide:

TheCompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Official Study Guiderecommends the use ofsecure coding practicesfor file operations, particularly to prevent path traversal attacks. It emphasizes usingpath normalization and validationas theprimary defense mechanism. By centralizing file handling through asecure library, developers canconsistently enforce security measuresacross the application.