Access Tools and Vulnerabilities

Access Tools

100

This tool used by attackers is usually a software application that records what the user is typing.

Keystroke Loggers:  This is usually a software application but it can also be a hardware device.  These tools can be installed on a computer and will record every character the user types into the keyboard.  It logs this information to a log file that can later be sent to and reviewed by the attacker.

200

This type of password cracker attack is particularly effective when the victim is using a weak password such as a regular word.

Dictionary attack.  Password crackers try to guess a user's password to gain access to a system.  These can use both brute force attacks and dictionary attacks.  Brute force attacks literally try every combination of characters until it find the correct password.  Dictionary attacks on the other hand use only actual words or variants of words to try to guess the password.  Dictionary attacks are particularly effective when the user has chosen a weak password.  

300

Some attackers use software programs that can be installed on the victim's computer that will open an entry point letting them in.  The user has to launch the program to install it though, so attackers will often use social engineering to get them to install it.  Once these programs are activated they will often open a port and listen for commands from the attacker to be executed on the victim's machine

Backdoor

400

These replace existing components of code often in the operating system making them almost invisible to malware protection systems.  They give the intruder administrative rights on the system and can be used to open backdoors.

Rootkits:  Rootkits are designed to be hidden from detection.  Because they allow intruders to have root level access, they can be used to open backdoors.  There are root kits available for all major operating systems including Windows, Linux and other Unix OS's.

Vulnerabilities

100

What makes cookies vulnerable to attackers?

Cookies are simply text files on a computer to help track user's history.  It helps web sites to remember you when you come back and modify the content they present you.  Because these are just text files they do not do any immediate harm.  However, if the site stores inappropriate content such as username, password, or credit card info it could be exposed to other programs that you don't want to have access to them.

200

When these are are not properly patched it can lead to web page defacement or worse.  It can then be used to pass along malware.  

Web servers

300

What can an attacker do when a DNS server is vulnerable?

DNS vulnerabilities can result in web site traffic for a legitimate site being redirected to a fake site pretending to be the original site.

400

Heartbleed is an example of what type of vulnerability

SSL vulnerability

More Vulnerabilities

100

Describe a physical vulnerability that can be exploited.

If you use a credit card or a door access card, attackers can set up phony card readers on ATM's and other locations to read the mag stripe data on your card.

200

What sort of environmental factors (not including disasters) are computer and network equipment especially vulnerable to?

Heat and humidity

300

In this scenario attackers can take advantage of poorly designed application code.  Basically, it is possible in some cases for the attacker to send too much data to an application which opens the door for command line instructions to be sent to the computer.

Buffer overflow

400

These attacks happen when web application don't properly handle incoming http requests.  When vulnerable, websites can be prompted to executing certain scripts sent by clients and causing undesirable effects.

Cross site scripting (XSS) 

Attack Methods

100

This is when an attacker presents a phony network address on the IP packets to make their computer appear as an authorized computer on the network.  

IP spoofing is when an attacker presents a phony network address on the IP packets to make their computer appear as an authorized computer on the victim's network.  This can be used to gain access to protected internal resources.

200

Explain a man-in-the middle attack.

This is where an attacker intercepts messages sent between two machines.  For example, if an attacker can get the user to believe they are connecting to a particular website (e.g. walmart.com) by having them go a similar-sounding web site (e.g. walmart.org) the attacker can act as a proxy between the user and the real walmart.com and intercept the traffic being sent including usernames and passwords.

300

What are two types of hijacking attacks besides the man-in-the-middle hijacking account.

session hijacking and browser hijacking.  Hijacking is where an attacker takes control of a session between two machines and pretends to be one of them.

400

In this type of attack, attackers can listen and capture packets on a network they can use these much like a DVR and playback the packets sent from one machine to another.  This can bring a system down or have other undesired consequences.

Replay attacks

More Attack Methods

100

What is the difference between a DoS and DDoS attack?

DoS attack uses a single computer where a DDoS attack uses a group of computers to coordinate an attack.

200

A brute force attack is a type of what? 

Password cracker

300

Similar to buffer overflow, these attacks can happen when input data from an application is not properly handled.  Basically, in these scenarios attackers insert certain SQL commands into an input field on a form.  These commands are read and executed by the database.  They can result in exposure of sensitive data, modify data, and/or crash the database behind the application.

SQL Injection Attack

400

What are the two different types of DOS attacks where one uses software flaws to crash or hinder a remote server and the other overwhelms the remote server with huge amounts of traffic?

Logic and flooding attacks.