PT0-001 · Question #81
A security analyst has uncovered a suspicious request in the logs for a web application. Given the following URL: Which of the following attack types is MOST likely to be the vulnerability?
The correct answer is B. Cross-site scripting. A suspicious URL containing embedded script payloads or encoded script tags in query parameters is a classic indicator of a Cross-Site Scripting attack attempt.
Question
A security analyst has uncovered a suspicious request in the logs for a web application. Given the following URL:
Which of the following attack types is MOST likely to be the vulnerability?
Options
- ADirectory traversal
- BCross-site scripting
- CRemote file inclusion
- DUser enumeration
How the community answered
(34 responses)- A3% (1)
- B85% (29)
- C3% (1)
- D9% (3)
Why each option
A suspicious URL containing embedded script payloads or encoded script tags in query parameters is a classic indicator of a Cross-Site Scripting attack attempt.
Directory traversal attacks use path sequences such as '../' in URL paths to navigate the server file system, not injected script content in parameters.
Cross-site scripting attacks inject malicious client-side scripts - commonly JavaScript - into URL parameters that are then reflected back to users by the web application. Suspicious URL patterns containing encoded script tags such as %3Cscript%3E or inline event handlers in query strings are the defining characteristic of reflected XSS attempts, which are commonly captured in web application access logs.
Remote file inclusion attacks embed external URL references pointing to attacker-controlled files as file path parameters, not script injection payloads in query strings.
User enumeration exploits predictable username patterns or timing differences in application responses to identify valid accounts, not URL-based script injection.
Concept tested: Identifying XSS attack indicators in web application logs
Source: https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/xss/
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