CS0-003 CompTIA CyberSecurity Analyst CySA+ Certification Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2026 Updated)

This is because scanning without admin privileges can limit the scope and accuracy of the vulnerability scan, and potentially miss some critical vulnerabilities that require higher privileges to detect. According to the OWASP Vulnerability Management Guide1, “scanning without administrative privileges will result in a large number of false negatives and an incomplete scan”. Therefore, the analyst should recommend addressing this issue to ensure potential vulnerabilities are identified.

Weaponization is the stage of the Cyber Kill Chain where the threat actor creates or modifies a malicious tool to use against a target. In this case, the threat actor compiles and tests a malicious downloader, which is a type of weaponized malware. References: Cybersecurity 101, The Cyber Kill Chain: The Seven Steps of a Cyberattack

Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log in with a single ID and password to access multiple applications. It eliminates the need for different passwords for various internal applications, streamlining the authentication process.

Command and control (C2) is a phase of the Cyber Kill Chain that involves the adversary attempting to establish communication with a successfully exploited target. C2 enables the adversary to remotely control or manipulate the target system or network using various methods, such as malware callbacks, backdoors, botnets, or covert channels. C2 allows the adversary to maintain persistence, exfiltrate data, execute commands, deliver payloads, or spread to other systems or networks.

Integrating an IT service delivery ticketing system to track remediation and closure is the best approach to ensure all vulnerabilities are patched in accordance with the SLA. A ticketing system is a software tool that helps manage, organize, and track the tasks and workflows related to IT service delivery, such as incident management, problem management, change management, and vulnerability management. A ticketing system can help the security team to prioritize, assign, monitor, and document the remediation of the vulnerabilities, and to ensure that they are completed within the specified time frame and quality standards. A ticketing system can also help the security team to communicate and collaborate with other teams, such as the IT operations team, the development team, and the business stakeholders, and to report on the status and progress of the remediation efforts12. Creating a compensating control item, accepting the risk, and requesting an exception are not the best approaches to ensure all vulnerabilitiesare patched in accordance with the SLA, as they do not address the root cause of the problem, which is the large number of critical and high findings that require patching. These approaches may also introduce more risks or challenges for the security team, such as compliance issues, resource constraints, or business impacts3 . References: What is a Ticketing System? | Freshservice ITSM Glossary, Vulnerability Management Best Practices, Compensating Controls: An Impermanent Solution to an IT … - Tripwire, [Risk Acceptance in Information Security - Infosec Resources], [Exception Management - ISACA]

Mean time to detect (MTTD) is the best metric for an organization to focus on given recent investments in SIEM, SOAR, and a ticketing system. MTTD is a metric that measures how long it takes to detect a security incident or threat from the time it occurs. MTTD can be improved by using tools and processes that can collect, correlate, analyze, and alert on security data from various sources. SIEM, SOAR, and ticketing systems are examples of such tools and processes that can help reduce MTTD and enhance security operations. Official References: https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/threat-intelligence/cyber-kill-chain-seven-steps-cyberattack

Time synchronization issues can cause severe problems with authentication and logging. If system clocks are not properly synchronized, it can lead to discrepancies in log timestamps, making it difficult to correlate events across different systems. Additionally, time-related discrepancies can affect authentication mechanisms that rely on time-based tokens, such as those used in multifactor authentication, leading to failures and security gaps.

Implementing input validation is the best way to mitigate the buffer overflow vulnerability at the application level. Input validation is a technique that checks the data entered by users or attackers against a set of rules or constraints, such as data type, length, format, or range. Input validation can prevent common web application attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), or command injection, which exploit the lack of input validation to execute malicious code or commands on the server or the client side. By validating the input before allowing submission, the web application can reject or sanitize any malicious or unexpected input, and protect the application from being compromised12. References: How to detect, prevent, and mitigate buffer overflow attacks - Synopsys, How to mitigate buffer overflow vulnerabilities | Infosec

Searching for other mail users who have received the same file is the best activity to perform next, as it helps to identify and contain the scope of the ransomware attack and prevent further damage. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files on a system and demands payment for their decryption. Ransomware can spread through phishing emails that contain malicious attachments or links that download the ransomware. By searching for other mail users who have received the same file, the analyst can alert them not to open it, delete it from their inboxes, and scan their systems for any signs of infection. The other activities are not as urgent or effective as searching for other mail users who have received the same file, as they do not address the immediate threat of ransomware spreading or affecting more systems. Wiping the computer and reinstalling software may restore the functionality of the affected workstation, but it will also erase any evidence of the ransomware attack and make recovery of encrypted files impossible. Shutting down the email server and quarantining it from the network may stop the delivery of more phishing emails, but it will also disrupt normal communication and operations for the organization. Acquiring a bit-level image of the affected workstation may preserve the evidence of the ransomware attack, but it will not help to stop or remove the ransomware or decrypt the files.

Isolation is the first step to take after detecting some indicators of compromise (IoCs) of possible ransomware contamination. Isolation prevents the ransomware from spreading to other servers or segments of the network, and allows the security team to investigate and contain the incident. Isolation can be done by disconnecting the infected servers from the network, blocking the malicious traffic, or applying firewall rules12.

User behavior analysis (UBA) is the most effective method for detecting abnormal account activity.

UBA uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify patterns in how users interact with systems. If an employee suddenly logs in from an unusual location or accesses resources outside of their normal behavior, it raises an alert​.

Option A (Malicious command interpretation) is focused on malware analysis, not user behavior.

Option B (Network monitoring) detects anomalies at the network level, but does not specifically focus on user behaviors.

Option D (SSL Inspection) is useful for decrypting encrypted traffic, but it does not analyze user activity patterns.

The most likely reason for this vulnerability is B. The developer did not set proper cross-site scripting protections in the header. Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of web application vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious code into a web page that is viewed by other users. XSS can be used to steal cookies, session tokens, credentials, or other sensitive information, or to perform actions on behalf of the victim1.

One of the common ways to prevent XSS attacks is to set proper HTTP response headers that instruct the browser how to handle the content of the web page. For example, the Content-Type header can specify the MIME type and character encoding of the web page, which can help the browser avoid interpreting data as code. The X-XSS-Protection header can enable or disable the browser’s built-in XSS filter, which can block or sanitize suspicious scripts. The Content-Security-Policy header can define a whitelist of sources and directives that control what resources and scripts can be loaded or executed on the web page2.

According to the output of Arachni, a web application security scanner framework3, it detected an XSS vulnerability in the form input ‘txtSearch’ with action https://localhost/search.aspx. This means that Arachni was able to inject a malicious script into the input field and observe its execution in the response. This indicates that the developer did not set proper cross-site scripting protections in the header of search.aspx, which allowed Arachni to bypass the browser’s default security mechanisms and execute arbitrary code on the web page.

Testing is a crucial step in any change management process, as it ensures that the change is compatible with the existing systems and does not cause any errors or disruptions. In this case, the change management team failed to test the email client patch on Windows 11 devices, which resulted in a widespread issue for the users. Testing would have revealed the problem before the patch was deployed, and allowed the team to fix it or postpone the change.

Performing input validation before allowing submission is the best recommendation for remediation of this application vulnerability. Input validation is a technique that checks the data entered by users or attackers against a set of rules or constraints, such as data type, length, format, or range. Input validation can prevent common web application attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), or command injection, which exploit the lack of input validation to execute malicious code or commands on the server or the client side. By validating the input before allowing submission, the web application can reject or sanitize any malicious or unexpected input, and protect the user credentials and other sensitive data from being compromised12. References: Input Validation - OWASP, 4 Most Common Application Vulnerabilities and Possible Remediation

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation:The command output shown indicates that the analyst used a TCP connection test to check if communication on port 443 (usually HTTPS) succeeded. Here’s why each option was or was not suitable:

A. nmap: While nmap can scan ports, it does not provide direct feedback on connection success or failure in the manner shown.

B. tnc (Test-NetConnection in PowerShell): This command in PowerShell is specifically designed to test connectivity to a specified port and IP address. The output (TcpTestSucceeded: False) is characteristic of the tnc command.

C. ping: The ping command only tests ICMP echo replies and does not indicate success or failure on specific ports.

D. tracert: tracert traces the path packets take to reach a host but does not provide a direct indication of port availability or success.

Deploying EDR on the web server and the database server to reduce the adversaries capabilities and using micro segmentation to restrict connectivity to/from the web and database servers are two compensating controls that will help contain the adversary while meeting the other requirements. A compensating control is a security measure that is implemented to mitigate the risk of a vulnerability or an attack when the primary control is not feasible or effective. EDR stands for Endpoint Detection and Response, which is a tool that monitors endpoints for malicious activity and provides automated or manual response capabilities. EDR can help contain the adversary by detecting and blocking their actions, such as data exfiltration, lateral movement, privilege escalation, or command execution. Micro segmentation is a technique that divides a network into smaller segments based on policies and rules, and applies granular access controls to each segment. Micro segmentation can help contain the adversary by isolating the web and database servers from other parts of the network, and limiting the traffic that can flow between them. Official References:

https://partners.comptia.org/docs/default-source/resources/comptia-cysa-cs0-002-exam-objectives

https://www.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst

https://www.comptia.org/blog/the-new-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-your-questions-answered

Eradication is a step in the incident response process that involves removing any traces or remnants of the incident from the affected systems or networks, such as malware, backdoors, compromised accounts, or malicious files. Eradication also involves restoring the systems or networks to their normal or secure state, as well as verifying that the incident is completely eliminated and cannot recur. In this case, the analyst is remediating items associated with a recent incident by isolating the vulnerabilityand actively removing it from the system. This describes the eradication step of the incident response process.

An incident manager should work with the legal and public relations entities to ensure correct processes are adhered to when communicating incident reporting to the general public, as a best practice. The legal entity can provide guidance on the legal implications and obligations of disclosing the incident, such as compliance with data protection laws, contractual obligations, and liability issues. The public relations entity can help craft the appropriate message and tone for the public communication, as well as manage the reputation and image of the organization in the aftermath of the incident. These two entities can help the incident manager balance the need for transparency and accountability with the need for confidentiality and security12. References: Incident Communication Templates, Incident Management: Processes, Best Practices & Tools - Atlassian

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:Performing a vulnerability scan during the recovery phase ensures that corrective actions, such as patches or configuration changes, have effectively addressed the vulnerabilities exploited during the incident. This step validates the system’s security before fully restoring operations.