nerdexam
(ISC)2

CCSP · Question #85

Which type of threat is often used in conjunction with phishing attempts and is often viewed as greatly increasing the likeliness of success?

The correct answer is A. Unvalidated redirects and forwards. Unvalidated redirects and forwards are often used in phishing attacks to make malicious links appear legitimate, increasing the likelihood of success.

Submitted by minji_kr· Apr 18, 2026Cloud Application Security

Question

Which type of threat is often used in conjunction with phishing attempts and is often viewed as greatly increasing the likeliness of success?

Options

  • AUnvalidated redirects and forwards
  • BCross-site request forgery
  • CCross-site scripting
  • DInsecure direct object references

How the community answered

(31 responses)
  • A
    94% (29)
  • B
    3% (1)
  • C
    3% (1)

Why each option

Unvalidated redirects and forwards are often used in phishing attacks to make malicious links appear legitimate, increasing the likelihood of success.

AUnvalidated redirects and forwardsCorrect

Unvalidated redirects and forwards allow an attacker to craft a URL that appears to point to a legitimate site but then redirects the user to a malicious site without their explicit knowledge or consent. This is particularly effective in phishing campaigns because the initial, trusted domain name can mask the eventual malicious destination, greatly increasing the likelihood of a user falling victim.

BCross-site request forgery

Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) tricks a logged-in user into performing an action they didn't intend on a website where they are authenticated, but it's not primarily used in conjunction with phishing to increase the likelihood of initial success like a redirect is.

CCross-site scripting

Cross-site scripting (XSS) involves injecting malicious scripts into legitimate websites to execute in a user's browser, typically used for session hijacking or defacement, not primarily for enhancing phishing success by luring.

DInsecure direct object references

Insecure direct object references (IDOR) allow attackers to access objects (like database records or files) they are not authorized to view by manipulating parameters in a URL, which is a different type of vulnerability than one that aids phishing.

Concept tested: Phishing techniques and web vulnerabilities

Source: https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/Unvalidated_Redirects_and_Forwards

Topics

#Phishing#Web Application Vulnerabilities#Redirect Vulnerabilities#Social Engineering

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full CCSP Practice