PT0-002 · Question #214
A penetration tester was able to compromise a server and escalate privileges. Which of the following should the tester perform AFTER concluding the activities on the specified target? (Choose two.)
The correct answer is D. Remove any tools or scripts that were installed. E. Delete any created credentials. After a penetration tester concludes activities on a compromised server, they must clean up any artifacts left behind to prevent unauthorized access or detection.
Question
A penetration tester was able to compromise a server and escalate privileges. Which of the following should the tester perform AFTER concluding the activities on the specified target? (Choose two.)
Options
- ARemove the logs from the server.
- BRestore the server backup.
- CDisable the running services.
- DRemove any tools or scripts that were installed.
- EDelete any created credentials.
- FReboot the target server.
How the community answered
(30 responses)- A10% (3)
- B3% (1)
- C7% (2)
- D80% (24)
Why each option
After a penetration tester concludes activities on a compromised server, they must clean up any artifacts left behind to prevent unauthorized access or detection.
Removing logs is a malicious act that would hide evidence of the penetration test from the client, hindering their ability to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
Restoring a server backup is a recovery action typically performed by the client's IT operations, not a post-test cleanup activity by the penetration tester.
Disabling running services would disrupt normal server operations, which is not part of a standard post-exploitation cleanup and could cause service outages.
Removing any tools or scripts installed ensures that no lingering malicious software or backdoors remain on the system after the test, maintaining the system's integrity.
Deleting any created credentials, such as user accounts or API keys, eliminates potential persistence mechanisms and unauthorized access points that could be exploited post-assessment.
Rebooting the target server would disrupt service availability and is not a necessary or appropriate post-exploitation cleanup step for artifact removal.
Concept tested: Penetration testing post-exploitation cleanup
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