CompTIA Security+ Question J-69

A security engineer is reviewing log data and sees the output below:
POST: /payload.php HTTP/1.1
HOST: localhost
Accept: */*
Referrer: http://localhost/
******* HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden
Connection: close
Log: Access denied with 403. Pattern matches form bypass Which of the following technologies was MOST likely being used to generate this log?

A. Host-based Intrusion Detection System
B. Web application firewall
C. Network-based Intrusion Detection System
D. Stateful Inspection Firewall
E. URL Content Filter

Answer: B

Explanation:
A web application firewall is a device, server add-on, virtual service, or system filter that defines a strict set of communication rules for a website and all visitors. It’s intended to be an application-specific firewall to prevent cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and other web application attacks.

CompTIA Security+ Question I-16

Which of the following is BEST at blocking attacks and providing security at layer 7 of the OSI model?

A. WAF
B. NIDS
C. Routers
D. Switches

Answer: A

Explanation:
A web application firewall (WAF) is an appliance, server plugin, or filter that applies a set of rules to an HTTP conversation. Generally, these rules cover common attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. By customizing the rules to your application, many attacks can be identified and blocked. The effort to perform this customization can be significant and needs to be maintained as the application is modified.

As the protocols used to access a web server (typically HTTP and HTTPS) run in layer 7 of the OSI model, then web application firewall (WAF) is the correct answer.

CompTIA Security+ Question E-81

Which of the following can be implemented in hardware or software to protect a web server from cross-site scripting attacks?

A. Intrusion Detection System
B. Flood Guard Protection
C. Web Application Firewall
D. URL Content Filter

Answer: C

Explanation:
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a form of malicious code-injection attack on a web server in which an attacker injects code into the content sent to website visitors. XSS can be mitigated by implementing patch management on the web server, using firewalls, and auditing for suspicious activity.

CompTIA Security+ Question E-4

Matt, an administrator, notices a flood fragmented packet and retransmits from an email server.
After disabling the TCP offload setting on the NIC, Matt sees normal traffic with packets flowing in sequence again. Which of the following utilities was he MOST likely using to view this issue?

A. Spam filter
B. Protocol analyzer
C. Web application firewall
D. Load balancer

Answer: B

Explanation:
A protocol analyzer is a tool used to examine the contents of network traffic. Commonly known as a sniffer, a protocol analyzer can be a dedicated hardware device or software installed onto a typical host system. In either case, a protocol analyzer is first a packet capturing tool that can collect network traffic and store it in memory or onto a storage device. Once a packet is captured, it can be analyzed either with complex automated tools and scripts or manually.