A forensics investigator is examining a number of unauthorized payments that were reported on the company's website. Some unusual log entries show users received an email for an unwanted mailing list and clicked on a link to attempt to unsubscribe. One of the users reported the email to the phishing team, and the forwarded email revealed the link to be:
Which of the following will the forensics investigator MOST likely determine has occurred?
The scenario involves users receiving emails with a link purportedly to unsubscribe from a mailing list, but the link actually performs unauthorized actions such as initiating payments. This is indicative of a Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF or CSRF) attack, where the attacker tricks users into executing actions they did not intend to perform. The link contains sensitive parameters like routing and account numbers, which suggest a request being sent to a server with the user's unintended authorization. This matches the typical pattern of an XSRF attack, making it the most likely determination by the forensics investigator.
CSRF or XSRF redirects you to something you didn't intend to go to when clicking a link
thank you!
XSRF or CSRF is the correct one, let me tell you why? -> using the Process of Elimination, we eliminate A and B, there is no thing to deal with SQL injection and Broken Authentication in this case. -> Only C (XXS) and D (XSRF). Remember about XXS, Cross-site scripting occurs when attackers try to inject JavaScript into the client's website. But D (XSRF), Cross-site-request-forgery, will inject the POST request to change email, address of shipping, or transfer funds. -> Pick D because the <a> link includes: routing=00001111&acct=22223334&amount=250
Phishing with a Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF) attack is a malicious tactic used by attackers to trick users into performing unintended actions on websites where they are authenticated. It's important to note that XSRF attacks don't rely on stealing login credentials. Instead, they exploit the fact that a user is already authenticated on a website, making the website trust the incoming request.
XSRF is the correct answer. There are so many questions with wrong answers, I want my money back!
Based on the provided information, the forensics investigator will likely determine that a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack has occurred. In an XSS attack, an attacker injects malicious scripts into web pages that are viewed by other users. In this case, the link provided for unsubscribing contains HTML code (<a> tag), suggesting that the injected script could have been executed when users clicked on the link. The presence of a clickable link and the fact that users reported receiving unwanted emails and clicking on the link to unsubscribe are typical indicators of an XSS attack. Therefore, the most likely scenario is: C. XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
In addition to writing the reason for the answer, I advise everyone to indicate a link to the official source of the information, so we are all certain of the correct answer. In this question the answer is D. The link is : https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/csrf-cross-site-request-forgery/
Thanks. You brought receipts!
Yeah. You really did bring reciepts
The truth is that I don't know what I can pay attention to, to study these things because the official answers say one thing but in the end everyone says another, I don't even know what to do.
Most voted.
Dont listen to the "official answers", Comtpia doesn't release any of the test questions, so really, no one knows 100% whats right/wrong. The people who upload the questions with the answers normally get the answers wrong because of their lack of knowledge, or to avoid having the questions taken down because its against Comptia's policy to provide answer keys associated with their questions, so sometimes they'll intentionally give wrong answers to loophole around this. Stick with the most voted answer and read the discussions. 9/10 times the "correct" answer is incorrect. Same goes with alot of free study guides out there.
In an XSS attack, malicious scripts are injected into web pages that are then viewed by other users. In this case, the link in the email appears to be crafted in a way that could potentially execute unauthorized scripts on the user's browser when they click on it.
In XSS, the code is injected into a benign or trusted website. Given this example, XSRF is much more likely. Especially because of the misleading link name.
Playing Devils Advocate, but if "a forensic investigator is examining a number of unauthorized payments" wouldnt that imply authentication has been broken and an attacker was able to compromise passwords, users account info, etc and assume their identities to make unauthorized payments?
Cross-Site Request Forgery (XSRF or CSRF) typically involves tricking a user's browser into making unintended requests to a web application on which the user is authenticated. In XSRF attacks, an attacker crafts a request and tricks the victim into unknowingly executing the request, often through social engineering techniques like phishing emails. In the scenario described, the user voluntarily clicked on a link in an email, presumably with the intention of unsubscribing from a mailing list. This action was not initiated by a malicious actor. Instead, the link provided in the email could potentially exploit a vulnerability on the website, leading to unauthorized actions. Therefore, while XSRF attacks involve unauthorized requests being made on behalf of authenticated users, the scenario described does not fit the typical pattern of an XSRF attack. Instead, it aligns more closely with Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), where malicious scripts are injected into web pages to execute unauthorized actions in the context of the victim's browser.
SQLi is manipulating database. Broken Authen. - authentication is broken; duuhh. XSS - html code is inserted into a web application. XSRF or CSRF - make users do certain actions that they do not intend to perform.
I'm retracing my earlier comment. here is what broken authentication is Broken Authentication: Description: Broken authentication occurs when an attacker exploits vulnerabilities related to user authentication and session management. Relevance to the Scenario: Users received an email for an unwanted mailing list. They clicked on a link to attempt to unsubscribe. The forwarded email revealed the link: Click here to unsubscribe.
he link provided appears to be related to account management (unsubscribing). Broken authentication vulnerabilities could allow unauthorized access to sensitive features or actions, such as unsubscribing. In this case, the link might lead to an unauthorized payment or other malicious activity.
Some unusual log entries show users received an email for an unwanted mailing list and clicked on a link to attempt to unsubscribe. users are making a request to unsubscribe. I would go with XSFR
I need to know which answer I should think of in this question. According to me option D is the best choice but the answer is given Option B. Can someone give some clarity regarding this?
D is the correct answer Contact me at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dfabb7babef1acb2b6abb7edef9fb0aaabb3b0b0b4f1bcb0b2">[email protected]</a> to get full set
Based on the provided information, the forensics investigator would most likely determine that a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack has occurred. XSS attacks involve injecting malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. In this scenario, the link provided in the forwarded email appears to be an attempt to unsubscribe from a mailing list, but it actually directs users to a URL that could be injecting malicious scripts into the company's website. When users click on the link, their browsers may execute the malicious script, which could lead to unauthorized actions such as making unauthorized payments. Therefore, the correct answer is: C. XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
Conversely, XSS is "two-way", in that the attacker's injected script can issue arbitrary requests, read the responses, and exfiltrate data to an external domain of the attacker's choosing.
The fact that the link was embedded in an email suggests that the attacker was trying to trick users into clicking on it (a social engineering tactic often used in phishing attacks). Based on this behavior, it's likely that the unauthorized payments reported on the company's website were the result of a successful XSS attack, and the forensics investigator would focus on gathering evidence to support this conclusion.