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Top Interview Questions Asked To A Penetration Tester

Penetrating testing questions

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Shaik Abdul Muneer
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52 views11 pages

Top Interview Questions Asked To A Penetration Tester

Penetrating testing questions

Uploaded by

Shaik Abdul Muneer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Top

Interview Questions Asked to a

Penetration Tester
Introduction

Are you ready to step into the world of cybersecurity as a penetration tester?
Penetration testing is one of the most exciting and critical roles in cybersecurity,
requiring a sharp mind and technical expertise. If you are preparing for an
interview, it is important to know the top questions hiring managers might ask to
assess your skills and experience.
Here is the list of the top 20 common interview questions for
Penetration Testers.
1. Explain information security.
Information security is the practice of safeguarding information from

unauthorized access, disclosure, use, interruption, alteration, or destruction. It

involves implementing measures to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and

availability of data, safeguarding against threats and vulnerabilities.

2. Describe buffer overflow.


Buffer overflow is a security vulnerability that occurs when a program or

process attempts to store more data than the allocated buffer, which can

cause overwritten memory and potential exploitation by attackers to execute

malicious code.

3. What is traceroute?
Traceroute is a network diagnostic technique that maps the route traversed by

packets from a source to a destination or target, revealing the intermediate

points or devices and their response times. It helps to uncover potential

vulnerabilities or misconfigurations along the route.

4. What are the types of penetration testing?


There are several types of penetration testing, including:

External Testing: Assessing the security of externally accessible systems and

networks.

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Internal Testing: Evaluating the security of internal systems and networks

from within the organization.

Wireless Network Testing: Evaluating the security of wireless devices

networks.

Web Application Testing: Focusing on identifying vulnerabilities specific to

web applications.

Mobile Application Testing: Assessing the security of mobile applications

running on different platforms.

Social Engineering Testing: Evaluating human vulnerabilities through

manipulation and deception.

Physical Penetration Testing: Assessing the physical security controls of an

organization, such as access controls and surveillance.

5. What methods are used to prevent brute force hacks?


There are several methods used to prevent brute force attacks:

Enforce strong password policies

Implement rate-limiting mechanisms

Implement CAPTCHA

Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Deploy IDS or IPS solutions

Implement robust monitoring and logging mechanisms

Configure account lockout policies

Keep systems and applications updated with the latest security patches

User education and awareness

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6. Define honeypot.
A honeypot is a security mechanism or system designed to attract and deceive

potential attackers. It acts as a simulated target or resource to lure attackers

into interacting with it. Its primary purpose is to gather information about an

attacker's tactics, techniques, and intentions, allowing security professionals

to study and analyze their behavior.

7. Explain footprinting.
Footprinting is the process of collecting data about a target system,

organization, or individual to gain an understanding of its infrastructure,

systems, and potential vulnerabilities. It involves gathering data from public

sources, such as websites, social media, DNS records, and search engines.

8. What is a security misconfiguration vulnerability?


Security misconfiguration vulnerability refers to insecure or incorrect

configuration of software, systems, or network components, leading to

potential security breaches.

9. What does the term "privilege escalation" mean?


Privilege escalation refers to gaining higher access or privileges on a system or

network than initially intended or assigned. It involves exploiting

vulnerabilities or misconfigurations to elevate one's privileges from a

restricted user account to a higher level, such as an administrator or root

access.

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10. What are the differences between a penetration test
and a vulnerability scan?
Differences between penetration testing and a vulnerability scan are:

Penetration Test Vulnerability Scan

It actively exploits vulnerabilities to It identifies known vulnerabilities


assess system security. in a system or network.

It simulates real-world attacks and Its automated scanning tools


attempts to gain unauthorized assess systems for known security
access. weaknesses.

It provides detailed findings, including It provides a list of vulnerabilities,


vulnerabilities, attack paths, and categorized by severity, with
potential impact. recommendations for remediation.

It primarily focuses on technical


It evaluates both technical and
vulnerabilities, not human or
human vulnerabilities.
process-related issues.

It requires skilled testers to analyze It can be performed by IT staff with


and exploit vulnerabilities. basic knowledge of scanning tools.

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11. What are black box and white box testing?
Black box and white box testing are penetration testing approaches.

Black box testing: In this testing approach, testers have zero knowledge of

the system being tested and approach it as an external attacker. They assess

the system's functionality and security without any internal details.

White box testing: Testers have complete system knowledge in this testing

approach, including architecture and source code. They assess the system's

internal workings, vulnerabilities, and security controls.

12. Describe network penetration testing.


Network penetration testing, also known as network security testing, is a

systematic and proactive assessment of a network's security posture. It

involves simulating real-world attacks to detect vulnerabilities, weaknesses,

and potential entry points within a network infrastructure.

13. Why is penetration testing crucial to an organization's


risk management plan?
Penetration testing is crucial to the risk management plan of an
organization as it:
Identifies vulnerabilities and weaknesses before attackers exploit them

Enhances overall security posture

Assesses the effectiveness of security controls

Helps prioritize and allocate resources for mitigation

Validates the effectiveness of incident response procedures

Demonstrates compliance with regulatory requirements

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14. Define vulnerability.
A vulnerability is a weakness in a system, software, or network that attackers

can use. It creates a potential entry point for unauthorized access, data

breaches, or other malicious activities.

15. What is data packet sniffing?


Data packet sniffing is the act of capturing and analyzing network traffic to

intercept and view the data packets being transmitted, potentially exposing

sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or other confidential

data.

16. What kind of systems can be subjected to


penetration testing?
A wide range of systems can be subjected to penetration testing, including:

Network infrastructure: Firewalls, routers, switches, and other network devices.

Operating systems: Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.

Databases: SQL and NoSQL databases that contain sensitive data.

Wireless networks: Wi-Fi networks and their associated devices.

Web applications: Online platforms, e-commerce websites, and web services.

Mobile applications: Android and iOS apps running on smartphones and tablets.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices: Smart home devices, industrial systems,

medical devices, etc.

Cloud infrastructure: Services and configurations within cloud environments like

AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

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17. Define STRIDE.
STRIDE is a threat modeling framework used in penetration testing to
categorize and analyze potential security threats and vulnerabilities in
a system. It categorizes threats into six types:

1. Spoofing

2. Tampering

3. Repudiation

4. Information Disclosure

5. Denial of Service

6. Elevation of Privilege

18. What is SSL stripping?


SSL stripping is a method where an attacker intercepts HTTPS connections

and converts them to unencrypted HTTP, potentially disclosing sensitive

information exchanged between the user and the website.

19. Define Local File Inclusion (LFI).


Local File Inclusion (LFI) is a vulnerability in web applications where an

attacker can exploit improper input mechanisms to include and execute local

files on the server, potentially accessing sensitive information or executing

malicious code.

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20. Explain the Broken Access Control vulnerability.
A Broken Access Control vulnerability is a security flaw that occurs when

access controls and restrictions in a system are not adequately implemented

or enforced. It allows unauthorized users to gain privileged access to

resources, functionality, or data they should not be able to access. It can lead

to unauthorized data exposure, data manipulation, or even full compromise of

the system.

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