Application Security: Master App Security for Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking

Question 1

What is the significance of the OWASP Top 10 list in application security?

Accepted Answer

It highlights the most common and critical vulnerabilities in web applications.

Answer

It ranks the top 10 most popular web applications.

Answer

It lists the most common security misconfigurations in web applications.

Answer

It is only relevant to large-scale enterprise applications.

Question 2

What is the primary goal of secure coding practices?

Accepted Answer

Prevent vulnerabilities from entering the codebase through disciplined development and review techniques.

Answer

Test the security of deployed applications to identify vulnerabilities.

Answer

Identify vulnerabilities in existing code after it has been developed.

Answer

Mitigate the impact of vulnerabilities once they have been introduced.

Question 3

What is the primary function of a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?

Accepted Answer

Filter and block malicious traffic at the network level, protecting applications from attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.

Answer

Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest to protect it from unauthorized access.

Answer

Monitor application performance and usage patterns to identify potential security issues.

Answer

Scan applications for vulnerabilities by simulating attacks and identifying weaknesses.

Question 4

Which of the following is a key benefit of using static application security testing (SAST) in the development process?

Accepted Answer

Early detection of vulnerabilities during development, allowing developers to address them before deployment.

Answer

Ability to test running applications in a production-like environment.

Answer

High level of accuracy in vulnerability identification, ensuring that all vulnerabilities are found.

Question 5

Which of the following approaches is recommended for implementing secure coding practices in an organization?

Accepted Answer

Establish clear coding standards and guidelines, ensuring that developers follow consistent and secure coding practices.

Answer

Hire only the most experienced cybersecurity professionals to develop and maintain applications.

Answer

Rely solely on external audits to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities in applications.

Answer

Purchase the most expensive security tools available to protect applications from all potential vulnerabilities.

Question 6

What is the primary purpose of penetration testing in application security?

Accepted Answer

Identify vulnerabilities that may not be detected through other testing methods, such as manual code reviews or automated vulnerability scans.

Answer

Develop secure coding practices and guidelines for developers to follow.

Answer

Mitigate application-level threats by implementing security controls and patches.

Question 7

What is the OWASP Top 10?

Accepted Answer

A widely recognized list of the most critical web application security risks, providing guidance on common vulnerabilities and best practices for mitigation.

Answer

A set of comprehensive secure coding guidelines covering all aspects of web application development.

Answer

A penetration testing methodology used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications.

Question 8

Which of the following is **not** a common web application vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

Buffer Underflow

Answer

SQL Injection

Answer

Server-Side Request Forgery

Answer

Cross-Site Scripting

Question 9

Which secure coding practice helps prevent SQL Injection attacks?

Accepted Answer

Input Validation

Answer

Buffer Overflow Protection

Answer

Use of Encrypted Passwords

Answer

Cross-Site Request Forgery Prevention

Question 10

What is the primary purpose of application security?

Accepted Answer

To protect applications from vulnerabilities and threats

Answer

To enhance application performance

Answer

To facilitate application development

Question 11

Which technique involves testing an application for vulnerabilities in a controlled environment?

Accepted Answer

Penetration Testing

Answer

Code Auditing

Answer

Security Monitoring

Answer

Risk Assessment

Question 12

What is the role of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) in application security?

Accepted Answer

To block malicious traffic and protect applications from attacks

Answer

To scan for vulnerabilities in application code

Answer

To monitor application activity for suspicious behavior

Question 13

What is the purpose of a security header?

Accepted Answer

To convey security-related information to the browser

Answer

To encrypt sensitive data

Answer

To prevent cross-site scripting attacks

Question 14

Which of the following is a best practice for secure coding?

Accepted Answer

Use strong encryption algorithms

Answer

Hard code sensitive information

Answer

Ignore input validation

Answer

Use deprecated development frameworks

Question 15

What is the potential impact of an SQL Injection attack on an application?

Accepted Answer

Data theft, data manipulation, and unauthorized access

Answer

Denial of service

Answer

Malware infection

Question 16

Which of the following is a sign of a potentially compromised application?

Accepted Answer

Unusual behavior, unexpected error messages, or unauthorized access logs

Answer

Slow application performance

Answer

High website traffic

Question 17

Which of the following is a common type of application-level vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Network downtime

Answer

Power outage

Answer

Hardware malfunction

Question 18

To mitigate buffer overflows, which secure coding practice can be employed?

Accepted Answer

Input validation

Answer

Secure data encryption

Answer

Regular software patching

Answer

Use of strong algorithms

Question 19

What is the primary objective of threat modeling in application security?

Accepted Answer

To identify and address potential threats to an application

Answer

To design a robust network architecture

Answer

To implement security controls

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a category of application security testing?

Accepted Answer

Performance evaluation

Answer

Static analysis

Answer

Penetration testing

Answer

Code review

Question 21

What is the definition of the OWASP Top 10?

Accepted Answer

A compilation of the most prevalent and critical application security vulnerabilities

Answer

A set of best practices for developing secure applications

Answer

A directory of tools for application security

Question 22

What is a primary benefit of utilizing a web application firewall (WAF)?

Accepted Answer

Protection against common web-based attacks

Answer

Improved user privacy

Answer

Automated security updates

Answer

Enhanced application speed

Question 23

What is the function of a security information and event management (SIEM) system in application security?

Accepted Answer

Collecting, analyzing, and correlating security events from multiple sources

Answer

Encrypting data in transit

Answer

Performing vulnerability assessments

Question 24

Which of the following is a recommended practice for secure API development?

Accepted Answer

Implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms

Answer

Storing API credentials in plain text

Answer

Permitting unrestricted cross-origin requests

Question 25

What is the distinction between a vulnerability and a threat?

Accepted Answer

A vulnerability is an application weakness, while a threat is an action that can exploit the weakness

Answer

Threats are inherently more severe than vulnerabilities

Question 26

Which of the following is a recommended practice for developing secure mobile applications?

Accepted Answer

Utilizing secure data storage mechanisms

Answer

Disabling input validation from users

Answer

Allowing unrestricted access to device resources

Question 27

Which of the following secure coding practices helps prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks?

Accepted Answer

Output encoding

Answer

Input validation

Answer

Encryption

Question 28

Which of the following techniques is used to identify and prevent application-level threats before deployment?

Accepted Answer

Static application security testing (SAST)

Answer

Vulnerability scanning

Answer

Penetration testing

Answer

Intrusion detection system (IDS)

Question 29

What is the primary benefit of security testing for mobile applications?

Accepted Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers

Answer

Improving the application's performance

Answer

Ensuring compliance with industry standards

Question 30

Which of the following is a recommended approach for automating security testing in Agile development?

Accepted Answer

Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) with automated security checks

Answer

Penetration testing once a year

Answer

Security audits only for major releases

Answer

Manual security testing at the end of each sprint

Question 31

Which of the following is a critical component of secure application development lifecycle (SDLC)?

Accepted Answer

Threat modeling

Answer

Code optimization

Answer

Code signing

Answer

Code obfuscation

Question 32

What is the ultimate goal of application security?

Accepted Answer

To protect applications and data from unauthorized access and attacks

Answer

To reduce application development costs

Answer

To improve application performance and user experience

Answer

To ensure compliance with industry regulations

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a common type of application vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

Network misconfiguration

Answer

Cross-site scripting

Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Buffer overflow

Question 34

Which secure coding practice helps prevent buffer overflows?

Accepted Answer

Input validation

Answer

Error handling

Answer

Output encoding

Answer

Data encryption

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using a web application firewall (WAF)?

Accepted Answer

Increased development time

Answer

Improved application performance

Answer

Reduced risk of data breaches

Answer

Protection against common web attacks

Question 36

Which of the following is a best practice for secure coding in C++?

Accepted Answer

Use the secure versions of C++ standard functions

Answer

Use only inline functions

Answer

Avoid using dynamic memory management

Answer

Always cast pointers to void before dereferencing

Question 37

What is the purpose of a penetration test in application security?

Accepted Answer

To identify and exploit vulnerabilities in an application

Answer

To verify the effectiveness of security controls

Answer

To develop a security plan for an application

Question 38

Which of the following is a tool used for static application security testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

SonarQube

Answer

Wireshark

Answer

Metasploit

Answer

Nmap

Question 39

What is the role of a security champion in application security?

Accepted Answer

To promote security awareness and best practices within a development team

Answer

To perform penetration tests on applications

Answer

To review code for security vulnerabilities

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a common type of application vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

Syntax errors that do not impact application logic or functionality

Answer

Buffer overflows

Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Question 41

Which of the following techniques can help mitigate SQL injection attacks?

Accepted Answer

Input validation: Checking user input for malicious characters and filtering out potentially dangerous queries

Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS): Injecting malicious scripts into a web application to compromise users' browsers

Answer

Phishing: Attempting to obtain sensitive information by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity

Answer

Buffer overflow: Intentionally overflowing a buffer to gain unauthorized access to memory

Question 42

What is the role of a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?

Accepted Answer

Filtering incoming requests to identify and block malicious payloads

Answer

Encrypting network traffic

Answer

Performing vulnerability scans: Identifying potential vulnerabilities in web applications

Answer

Detecting malware on servers: Scanning and identifying malicious software on web servers

Question 43

What is the primary goal of penetration testing in application security?

Accepted Answer

Identifying exploitable vulnerabilities that could be leveraged by an attacker

Answer

Enhancing user experience: Identifying and addressing usability issues

Answer

Ensuring regulatory compliance: Verifying that an application meets specific security regulations

Answer

Improving application performance: Identifying and fixing code inefficiencies

Question 44

Which of the following is a benefit of using a Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) tool?

Accepted Answer

Detecting and blocking attacks during application runtime, providing real-time protection

Answer

Providing real-time threat intelligence: Generating insights into potential threats based on observed attack patterns

Answer

Enhancing application performance: Optimizing application code to improve its speed and efficiency

Answer

Reducing the need for manual security reviews: Automating the detection and mitigation of security vulnerabilities

Question 45

Which of the following is a best practice for preventing cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks?

Accepted Answer

Using CSRF tokens: Generating unique tokens for each user and embedding them in requests to prevent unauthorized actions

Answer

Disabling all external scripts: Blocking the execution of scripts from external domains

Answer

Enforcing strict access control: Limiting user permissions to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data

Answer

Implementing input validation: Checking user input for malicious characters and filtering out potentially dangerous queries

Question 46

What is the OWASP Top 10?

Accepted Answer

A widely recognized list of the most critical application security risks, updated regularly by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

Answer

A framework for developing secure applications: Provides guidance and best practices for secure application development

Answer

A set of security testing standards: Defines specific criteria for testing application security

Question 47

Which of the following is a common application vulnerability that can result in arbitrary code execution?

Accepted Answer

Buffer overflow

Answer

Cross-site scripting

Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Privilege escalation

Question 48

What is the primary objective of secure coding practices?

Accepted Answer

To prevent malicious code from being introduced into software applications.

Answer

To facilitate application maintenance and updates.

Answer

To enhance application performance and efficiency.

Question 49

Which of the following is a recommended approach for mitigating cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities?

Accepted Answer

Encoding or escaping user-supplied input before displaying it on the client side.

Answer

Disabling cookies by default in web browsers.

Answer

Enforcing complex password policies for users.

Answer

Blocking all incoming requests from external networks.

Question 50

Which of the following is a widely recognized and standardized approach to identifying and classifying application vulnerabilities?

Accepted Answer

Security testing frameworks and methodologies, such as OWASP.

Answer

Reliance on user feedback and bug reports.

Answer

Manual code review by experienced developers.

Answer

Analysis of application logs and event data.

Question 51

What is a significant advantage of deploying a web application firewall (WAF)?

Accepted Answer

It can inspect and block malicious traffic before it reaches the application server.

Answer

It can completely prevent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

Answer

It can automatically patch vulnerabilities in the application code.

Question 52

What is a fundamental purpose of encryption in the context of application security?

Accepted Answer

To safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access and disclosure.

Answer

To prevent replay attacks by ensuring message uniqueness.

Answer

To verify the integrity of data by detecting unauthorized modifications.

Question 53

Which of the following actors is primarily focused on exploiting vulnerabilities in software applications?

Accepted Answer

Exploit developer

Answer

Phisher

Answer

Advanced persistent threat (APT).

Answer

Social engineer

Question 54

What is the primary purpose of deploying a honeypot in an application security context?

Accepted Answer

To attract and monitor malicious actors, gaining insights into their tactics and techniques.

Answer

To redirect attacks away from legitimate applications and infrastructure.

Answer

To mimic vulnerable applications and assist in testing security controls.

Answer

To isolate and analyze malicious code without affecting live systems.

Question 55

What is a key distinction between application security and network security?

Accepted Answer

Application security focuses on protecting the code and functionality of software, while network security focuses on protecting the network infrastructure and data in transit.

Answer

Application security is more important than network security.

Answer

Application security is proactive, while network security is reactive.

Question 56

What is the significance of the OWASP Top 10?

Accepted Answer

It provides a comprehensive list of the most critical application security risks and vulnerabilities.

Answer

It defines industry-accepted standards for secure coding practices.

Answer

It serves as a guideline for conducting penetration testing engagements.