Computer / Software Security - Quiz

Answer: a) Brute force attack

Explanation: A brute force attack is a type of attack where an attacker tries to guess a user's password by trying multiple combinations until they find the correct one.

Answer: b) Authorization

Explanation: Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a user or system based on their identity and permissions.

Answer: a) Steganography

Explanation: Steganography is the process of hiding information within another piece of information, such as a text message or image.

Answer: a) Penetration testing

Explanation: Penetration testing is the practice of testing a system or application for vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. This is done to identify and address potential security weaknesses before they can be exploited.

Answer: c) Hashing

Explanation: Hashing is the process of converting plaintext into a fixed-length string of characters that represents the original data. Hashing is a one-way process, meaning that it is not possible to convert the hash back into the original data.

The most advanced form of static analysis is performed by tools that use abstract syntax trees (ASTs). ASTs represent the syntactic structure of source code in a tree-like format, where each node denotes a construct in the code. This approach allows for deep analysis of the program's structure and logic, making it possible to detect complex coding errors, security vulnerabilities, and other issues that might not be easily identified by simpler methods. While search tools, manual inspection, and lexical analysis are important components of static analysis, AST-based analysis provides a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the code, offering advanced insights for detecting potential issues.

A comprehensive security requirements checklist is a viable alternative to hiring a human software security expert to prevent requirements-level threats. This checklist provides a structured approach to identifying and addressing security concerns at the requirements stage, ensuring that security considerations are incorporated early in the software development lifecycle. It can help ensure that the software meets security standards and mitigates common risks without needing a dedicated security expert for each project. Improved documentation, additional checkpoints, and spending more time on requirements elicitation may also contribute to better security practices but may not be as effective at specifically addressing requirements-level threats.

A buffer overflow attack occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer than it can hold, causing the excess data to overwrite adjacent memory. This can lead to various consequences, such as crashing the program (option C), crashing the operating system (option B), or executing unintended code (option D), all of which are common outcomes of a buffer overflow. However, changing the operating system (option A) is the least likely consequence of a buffer overflow. While a successful buffer overflow could potentially exploit vulnerabilities that lead to privileged access, directly altering the operating system itself is much less common. The attack typically affects the application or causes instability, not fundamental changes to the OS.

CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a system that assigns unique identifiers to known vulnerabilities in software or hardware, making it easier to reference and manage these vulnerabilities across different security tools and databases. It helps security professionals track and address individual vulnerabilities. CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration), on the other hand, is a list of common software vulnerabilities categorized by type. It aims to provide a broader understanding of the weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. While CVE focuses on identifying specific instances of vulnerabilities with unique IDs, CWE groups similar weaknesses to provide guidance on mitigating these issues. Together, CVE and CWE help security teams to both identify vulnerabilities and understand the underlying causes that could lead to them.

Black box testing is a testing method where the tester does not have access to the internal workings or source code of the application. The tester focuses on examining the functionality of the software by providing inputs and evaluating the output without considering how the system processes the inputs. This testing type is generally used to verify that the software meets its functional requirements and behaves as expected from the end user's perspective. In contrast, white box testing requires knowledge of the internal code and structure of the application, as it involves testing the internal logic, paths, and functions. Gray box testing combines aspects of both black box and white box testing, where testers have limited knowledge of the internal code. Hybrid testing typically refers to a combination of testing techniques or approaches, and can involve both black box and white box methods.