10+ Penetration Tester Interview Questions and Answers

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious code into web pages viewed by other users.

• XSS occurs when an attacker injects malicious code into a web page viewed by other users

• CSRF occurs when an attacker tricks a user into performing an action on a website without their knowledge or consent

• XSS can be used to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials or personal data

• CSRF can be used to perform actions on ...read more

SQL is a programming language used for managing data in relational databases. Authentication verifies a user's identity, while authorization determines what actions they can perform.

• SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to communicate with databases to perform tasks such as querying, updating, and deleting data.

• Authentication is the process of verifying a user's identity, typically through credentials like usernames and passwords.

• Authorization determines what actions a user...read more

Passwords were moved to the shadow file on Linux for enhanced security.

• To prevent unauthorized users from accessing password hashes

• To restrict access to sensitive information

• To improve overall system security

• To comply with security best practices

To catch up with the latest security trends, one can attend conferences, read industry publications, participate in online forums, and engage in hands-on training.

• Attend security conferences such as Black Hat or DEF CON

• Read industry publications like SecurityWeek or Dark Reading

• Participate in online forums and communities like Reddit's netsec or Stack Exchange's Information Security

• Engage in hands-on training through platforms like Hack The Box or TryHackMe

DDoS is a cyber attack where multiple compromised systems are used to target a single system, session hijacking is when an attacker takes over a user's session, and cryptography is the practice of secure communication.

• DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service, overwhelming a system with traffic to make it unavailable

• Session hijacking involves stealing a user's session token to impersonate them

• Cryptography is the practice of encoding and decoding information to ensure secu...read more

A UNION statement in SQL is used to combine the result sets of two or more SELECT statements into a single result set.

• UNION statement is used to combine rows from two or more SELECT statements into a single result set.

• The number of columns and data types must be the same in all SELECT statements being combined.

• Duplicate rows are automatically removed unless UNION ALL is used.

• Example: SELECT column1 FROM table1 UNION SELECT column1 FROM table2;

Mitigation steps for issues found in source code involve identifying vulnerabilities, prioritizing fixes, implementing secure coding practices, and conducting regular code reviews.

• Identify vulnerabilities through code analysis tools like static code analyzers or manual code reviews

• Prioritize fixes based on severity and impact on the system

• Implement secure coding practices such as input validation, output encoding, and proper error handling

• Conduct regular code reviews to catch...read more

Network VAPT is the process of assessing the security of a network by identifying vulnerabilities and testing for potential exploits.

• 1. Conducting a thorough assessment of the network infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities.

• 2. Performing various types of penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks and test the effectiveness of security measures.

• 3. Analyzing the results of the tests to prioritize and address critical vulnerabilities.

• 4. Providing recommendat...read more

Network penetration testing is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in a network and exploiting them to gain unauthorized access.

• It involves simulating an attack on a network to identify security weaknesses

• It can be done using automated tools or manual testing

• The goal is to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers

• Examples of network penetration testing include port scanning, vulnerability scanning, and social engineering attacks

DDoS is a type of cyber attack that floods a network or server with traffic to disrupt normal operations.

• DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service

• Attackers use multiple compromised systems to flood a target with traffic

• This overwhelms the target's resources, making it unable to respond to legitimate requests

• Common DDoS attack types include UDP flood, ICMP flood, and SYN flood

• DDoS attacks can be mitigated using specialized security tools and services

CSP headers are used to mitigate cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by specifying which resources can be loaded on a webpage.

• Prevent XSS attacks by restricting resources that can be loaded on a webpage

• Specify allowed sources for scripts, stylesheets, images, fonts, etc.

• Enforce security policies to protect against unauthorized code execution

• Helps in detecting and mitigating security vulnerabilities in web applications

Vulnerabilities can be rated based on their severity, exploitability, and impact on the system.

• Rate based on severity (e.g. critical, high, medium, low)

• Consider exploitability (e.g. ease of exploitation, available tools)

• Assess impact on the system (e.g. data loss, system compromise)

• Use Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) for standardized rating

I will manage risk by conducting thorough risk assessments, implementing security measures, monitoring for vulnerabilities, and staying up-to-date on industry best practices.

• Conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities

• Implementing security measures such as firewalls, encryption, and access controls

• Monitoring systems for any signs of vulnerabilities or breaches

• Staying up-to-date on industry best practices and emerging threats

• Creating incident respo...read more

Web penetration testing is the process of assessing the security of a web application by identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting them.

• It involves simulating real-world attacks to identify weaknesses in the application's security.

• Penetration testers use various tools and techniques to uncover vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure direct object references.

• The goal is to provide recommendations for improving the application's securit...read more

Network testing tools are software applications used to test and analyze network performance and security.

• Network scanners - identify hosts, open ports, and services running on a network

• Vulnerability scanners - identify vulnerabilities in network devices and software

• Packet sniffers - capture and analyze network traffic

• Penetration testing frameworks - automate the process of testing network security

• Firewall testing tools - test the effectiveness of firewalls and other security...read more