Exam CAS-004 topic 1 question 195 discussion

Software Composition Analysis Software composition analysis involves the inspection of source code to identify any open source components, which can include open source code itself but also any libraries that are being used as part of the application's design. The primary purpose of software composition analysis is to determine if software contains open source elements with known vulnerabilities and to help with issue prioritization and possible remediation steps.

WAF is the answer

The BEST solution to help prevent this type of attack from being successful in the future involves: C. Software composition analysis. Here's why: Reconnaissance and Footprint Development: Software composition analysis (SCA) helps identify and track third-party libraries and components used in your applications. By regularly scanning and monitoring your codebase for vulnerabilities and known issues in these libraries, you can address them before attackers have a chance to exploit them. This helps prevent vulnerabilities from being discovered during reconnaissance. Vulnerability Exploitation: SCA can identify and notify you about vulnerabilities in third-party libraries, including those that could be exploited by attackers. Promptly patching or updating vulnerable libraries can help prevent attackers from exploiting these weaknesses, as they did in this incident. Excessive Privileges and Data Exfiltration: While SCA focuses on identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in third-party libraries, additional measures such as user behavior analysis (D) can help detect suspicious activities, such as excessive privileges and data exfiltration. However, SCA is more directly related to the specific vulnerabilities mentioned in the scenario.

Repeat of 255, where there is no WAF. Answer is SCA.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) "3rd party library" vulnerability could be directly mitigated by a SCA solution. Source: https://www.synopsys.com/glossary/what-is-software-composition-analysis.html#D Doing reconnaissance doesn't mean that you need a WAF. Attackers always do that. This part of the question is a red herring. None of the options really can get after preventing exfiltrating data. User behavior analysis is not Continous Monitoring for irregular user behavior. Source: Verifying each answer against Chat GPT, my experience, other test banks, a written book, and weighing in the discussion from all users to create a 100% accurate guide for myself before I take the exam. (It isn't easy because of the time needed, but it is doing my diligence)

E, correct

E. The hacker exploited vulnerabilities in a web server. WAF can monitor HTTP traffic and inspect the content. User behavior analysis might help but is not the BEST solution. Everything could have been avoided from the beginning with the reconnaissance if a WAF was in place.

E, correct

A WAF isn't going to detect or prevent all attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in third-party libraries. A software composition analysis is specifically designed to identify and manage risks associated with third-party libraries and open-source components. An SCA would have prevented this from happening.

Why do you need a web application firewall (WAF)? Maximizes the detection and catch rate for known and unknown threats Minimizes false alerts (false positives) and adapts to continually evolving web applications Ensures broader adoption through ease of use and minimal performance impact

E seems correct