CY-702-A Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Analysis - Dec 2025 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aWhat are the common stages of a penetration testing methodology?
   How to answer

   • Define penetration testing methodology
   • List common stages: planning/reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, post-exploitation, reporting
   • Brief purpose of each stage
   • Role of methodology/standards
2. 7 Marks
   bWhat is a vulnerability scanner and how does it help organizations assess their security posture?
   How to answer

   • Define vulnerability scanner
   • How scanning works: discovery, detection, prioritization
   • How it helps assess security posture: continuous assessment, risk rating, remediation
   • Examples of scanners
3. 7 Marks
   aWhy is reconnaissance considered the first and most crucial phase of ethical hacking?
   How to answer

   • Define reconnaissance in ethical hacking
   • Active vs passive reconnaissance
   • Why first: scope, footprinting, attack surface mapping
   • Impact on success of later phases
4. 7 Marks
   bExplain penetration testing. Also differentiate between internal and external penetration testing.
   How to answer

   • Define penetration testing and its goals
   • Steps/overview of process
   • Define internal penetration testing with scope
   • Differentiate internal vs external on basis of attacker position, access, threats simulated
5. 7 Marks
   aWhat are some common tools used for privilege escalation? Explain in detail.
   How to answer

   • Define privilege escalation: vertical vs horizontal
   • List common tools: Metasploit, Mimikatz, PowerUp, LinPEAS/WinPEAS, BloodHound
   • Working of each tool category
   • Example attack scenario and mitigation
6. 7 Marks
   bHow does a black-box test differ from a white-box and grey-box test?
   How to answer

   • Define black-box, white-box, grey-box tests
   • Compare on knowledge, access, time, realism
   • Advantages/limitations of each
   • When each is used
7. 7 Marks
   aDefine confidentiality, integrity and availability in the context of web security.
   How to answer

   • Define confidentiality, integrity, availability
   • CIA triad in web security context
   • Threats/examples violating each
   • Controls to preserve each
8. 7 Marks
   bWhat is business logic testing and why is it important. Give examples.
   How to answer

   • Define business logic testing
   • Why important: bypasses technical controls, causes fraud/abuse
   • Typical flaws: workflow bypass, price manipulation, race conditions
   • Examples with remediation
9. 7 Marks
   aHow can an attacker perform reconnaissance on a physical facility to identify vulnerabilities?
   How to answer

   • Define physical reconnaissance goals
   • Methods: dumpster diving, tailgating, surveillance, social engineering
   • What vulnerabilities to identify: access controls, CCTV, locks
   • Countermeasures
10. 7 Marks
    bWhat are the different Wi-Fi security protocols explain in detail.
    How to answer

    • List Wi-Fi protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3
    • Working/encryption of each
    • Known weaknesses and improvements
    • Best practice recommendation
11. 7 Marks
    aExplain the main types of Wi-Fi vulnerabilities in detail.
    How to answer

    • Define Wi-Fi vulnerability landscape
    • Types: weak encryption, rogue AP, evil twin, deauth, KRACK, weak passwords
    • How each is exploited
    • Mitigations
12. 7 Marks
    bHow does symmetric encryption differ from asymmetric encryption?
    How to answer

    • Define symmetric encryption with single key
    • Define asymmetric encryption with public/private keys
    • Compare on keys, speed, key distribution, use cases
    • Examples: AES/DES vs RSA/ECC
13. 7 Marks
    aExplain the process for tracking and resolving issues identified during testing.
    How to answer

    • Steps: logging, severity classification, prioritization
    • Tracking tools and assignment
    • Retesting and verification
    • Reporting and closure
14. 7 Marks
    bPerform encryption and decryption using the RSA algorithm for the following: 1. $p=3$, $q=11$; $e=7$; $M=5$.
    How to answer

    • Compute $n=pq$ and $\phi(n)$
    • Verify $e$ and compute $d$ such that $ed \equiv 1 \mod \phi(n)$
    • Encrypt $C=M^e \mod n$ and decrypt $M=C^d \mod n$
    • Show numeric values for $p=3, q=11, e=7, M=5$
15. 7 Marks
    aCompare between red teaming, penetration testing.
    How to answer

    • Define red teaming and penetration testing
    • Compare on scope, objective, duration, mindset
    • Blue team interaction and rules of engagement
    • When to use each
16. 7 Marks
    bExplain the types of common challenges of CTFs in detail.
    How to answer

    • Define CTF in cybersecurity
    • Common categories: web, crypto, forensics, reverse, pwn, OSINT
    • Explain skills tested in each
    • Examples of challenges