CVA CVA Operating System & Host-Based Vulnerabilities

Question 1

What is privilege escalation in the context of operating system security?

Accepted Answer

Gaining higher-level permissions than originally granted to a user or process

Answer

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker or process obtains higher-level permissions (e.g., root or SYSTEM) than initially granted, enabling broader system control.

Question 2

Which Windows security feature marks memory regions as non-executable to help prevent code injection attacks?

Accepted Answer

Data Execution Prevention (DEP)

Answer

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) marks certain memory regions as non-executable, preventing attackers from running malicious code injected into data areas like the stack or heap.

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR)?

Accepted Answer

To randomize memory addresses of key data areas, making exploitation harder

Answer

ASLR randomizes the memory addresses where system components (stack, heap, libraries) are loaded, making it difficult for attackers to predict target addresses for exploits.

Question 4

Which Linux command is used to display currently running processes along with their resource usage?

Accepted Answer

top or ps aux

Answer

The 'top' command and 'ps aux' both display running processes with details such as PID, CPU, and memory usage, which are essential for host-based analysis.

Question 5

What best describes a rootkit in the context of host-based vulnerabilities?

Accepted Answer

Malware designed to hide its presence and maintain persistent privileged access

Answer

A rootkit is malicious software that conceals its existence and that of other malware while maintaining persistent, often root-level access to a compromised system.

(CVA) Certified Vulnerability Assessor Practice Test

(CVA) Certified Vulnerability Assessor Practice Test

CVA CVA Operating System & Host-Based Vulnerabilities