Certified Ethical Hacker Vulnerability Assessment and Exploitation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test?
- They are identical processes
- A vulnerability assessment identifies weaknesses; a pen test actively exploits them (Correct answer)
- A pen test only uses automated tools; a vulnerability assessment uses manual techniques
- A vulnerability assessment is performed externally; a pen test is internal only
Correct answer: A vulnerability assessment identifies weaknesses; a pen test actively exploits them
A vulnerability assessment identifies and reports security weaknesses without exploiting them, while a penetration test actively exploits vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world impact.
Question 2: Which CVSS metric indicates how easily an attacker can repeat a successful exploit?
- Attack Complexity (Correct answer)
- Privileges Required
- Confidentiality Impact
- Scope
Correct answer: Attack Complexity
Attack Complexity (AC) in CVSS measures the conditions beyond the attacker's control required to exploit the vulnerability, indicating how reliably the exploit can be repeated.
Question 3: Which tool is an industry-standard open-source vulnerability scanner used in CEH assessments?
- Metasploit
- OpenVAS (Correct answer)
- Burp Suite
- John the Ripper
Correct answer: OpenVAS
OpenVAS (Greenbone Vulnerability Manager) is a widely used open-source vulnerability scanner that checks systems against thousands of known vulnerability tests.
Question 4: What type of vulnerability assessment is performed without any prior knowledge of the target environment?
- White Box Assessment
- Gray Box Assessment
- Black Box Assessment (Correct answer)
- Crystal Box Assessment
Correct answer: Black Box Assessment
A black box assessment simulates an external attacker with no prior knowledge, testing the target purely from an outsider's perspective.
Question 5: Which Metasploit component stores information about discovered hosts, services, and vulnerabilities during an engagement?
- msfconsole
- msfvenom
- The Metasploit Database (msfdb) (Correct answer)
- Armitage
Correct answer: The Metasploit Database (msfdb)
The Metasploit database (msfdb), backed by PostgreSQL, stores all workspace data including discovered hosts, open ports, services, and vulnerability findings.
Question 6: What does CVSS stand for in the context of vulnerability scoring?
- Common Vulnerability Severity System
- Cyber Vulnerability Scoring Standard
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System (Correct answer)
- Critical Vulnerability Summary Scale
Correct answer: Common Vulnerability Scoring System
CVSS stands for Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which provides a standardized method for rating the severity of security vulnerabilities.
Certified Ethical Hacker Vulnerability Assessment and Exploitation 1
What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test?