VAPT Interview Questions and Answers [2024]

• 01 October, 2024
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VAPT Interview Questions and Answers

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing can be an amazing skill that can offer the best career path in the IT Industry. With a reputed source of training & certification, you can go even further.

You can read this amazing article, which will give you a dynamic overview of VAPT Techniques and the specialized VAPT Interview Questions and Answers. What are we waiting for? Let’s get straight to the topic!

Section 1: Early-Stage

1. What is VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing)?

Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing are used to identify and exploit security holes in systems and networks.

2. Why is VAPT important?

VAPT is important for various reasons, such as follows:

1. Identifies Vulnerabilities: It helps find security holes before hackers take advantage of them.
2. Prevents Cyber Attacks: Identifying potential attack vectors reduces the likelihood of data breaches or system compromises.
3. Ensures Compliance: Many standards and regulations require periodic security assessments to guarantee compliance.
4. Strengthens Security Posture: VAPT provides useful insights to protect sensitive assets and bolster cybersecurity defenses everywhere.

3. What are the common phases of a VAPT engagement?

The following are typical VAPT engagement phases:

1. Planning and Scoping: Establish the test’s aims, objectives, and scope in collaboration with the test’s stakeholders.
2. Reconnaissance: Gather information about the target systems and networks to identify potential vulnerabilities.
3. Vulnerability Identification: Run both automated and manual scans to find security holes.
4. Exploitation: Analyze vulnerabilities and attempt to exploit them to ascertain their impact and potential risks.
5. Post-Exploitation: Analyze the degree of access acquired and any possibilities for further abuse.
6. Reporting: Note the conclusions, risks, and recommended remedial measures.
7. Remediation and Re-Testing: After addressing vulnerabilities, retest to ensure they have been sufficiently mitigated.

4. Explain the difference between Black Box, White Box, and Gray Box testing.

Following are the differences between Black Box, White Box, and Gray Box Testing:

1. Black Box Testing: Focuses on evaluating the program’s functionality rather than its internal structure or coding. Testers know only the inputs and expected outcomes.
2. White Box Testing: Involves testing with complete knowledge of the internal code structure, logic, and design. Testers look at internal paths, data flow, and code execution.
3. Gray Box Testing: Combines Black Box and White Box techniques. To create more sophisticated test cases, testers leverage their incomplete knowledge of internal operations.

5. What are some commonly used tools in VAPT?

Following are some of the commonly used tools in VAPT:

1. Nmap: A well-liked network scanning tool that locates hosts and services on a network by sending packets and analyzing replies.
2. Metasploit: An efficient penetration testing framework that allows the creation and execution of exploits against target systems.
3. Burp Suite: A popular tool for finding security holes in web applications, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting attacks, is web vulnerability testing and scanning.

Section 2: Intermediate VAPT Interview Questions

1. What is the OWASP Top 10?

The list of the biggest security threats to web applications, known as the OWASP Top 10, is being updated by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). It helps developers and security specialists focus on the most common and important vulnerabilities.

2. How do you prioritize vulnerabilities after a VAPT?

Vulnerabilities should be ranked in order of severity, likelihood of exploitation, and potential impact on business operations.

3. What is the difference between a vulnerability and an exploit?

A vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in a system that could be exploited against it. An exploit is the actual procedure or plan used to breach a system and take advantage of that vulnerability.

4. Explain SQL Injection and how to test for it during a VAPT.

SQL Injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to insert malicious SQL code into a query and manipulate or improperly access a database. During a VAPT, you can test SQL Injection by following these steps:

1. Input Validation,
2. Parameter Manipulation,
3. Blind SQL Injection,
4. Automated Tools, and
5. Error Message Analysis.

5. How do you perform a buffer overflow attack in penetration testing?

A buffer overflow attack in penetration testing happens when a program gets more data than it can process. This may result in the software overwriting memory that is close by and possibly executing malicious code.

Section 3: Advanced VAPT Interview Questions

1. How would you approach testing a web application for vulnerabilities?

Make sure to perform a comprehensive vulnerability assessment using both automated and manual techniques.

2. What are the common challenges faced during VAPT?

The following are the common challenges faced during VAPT:

1. Scope Definition: It can be challenging to define the assessment’s parameters precisely, which increases the risk of mistakes or misinterpretations of the systems or applications covered.
2. Environment Complexity: Finding every possible vulnerability during testing in complex environments—such as those with multiple interconnected systems or cloud-based applications—can be difficult.
3. False Positives/ Negatives: Automated tools that produce false positives, vulnerabilities identified incorrectly, false negatives, or fail to detect real vulnerabilities may affect the assessment’s accuracy.
4. Limited Access: Technical restrictions or security guidelines may make it difficult to access systems, APIs, or third-party services in a way that allows for comprehensive testing.
5. Time Constraints: Insufficient time for thorough testing could lead to rushed evaluations, increasing the risk of missing significant defects or weaknesses.

3. What is privilege escalation, and how do you test for it?

Privilege escalation is a security vulnerability that allows attackers to gain access rights or permissions beyond what was initially granted to them within a system or application. The methods listed below can be used to test privilege escalation:

1. User Role Analysis,
2. Account Enumeration,
3. Exploitation of Vulnerabilities,
4. Kernel & Service Exploits and
5. Access Control Testing.

4. How do you perform post-exploitation tasks in VAPT?

You can carry out post-exploitation tasks in VAPT by following these steps:

1. Data Collection,
2. Network Mapping,
3. Persistence Mechanisms,
4. Privilege Escalation, and
5. Cleanup and Reporting.

5. How would you handle a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability during a VAPT?

While isolating the affected system, implement firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and rate limits.

Section 4: Scenario-Based VAPT Interview Questions

1. You’ve discovered a vulnerability in a client’s system that could lead to a massive data breach. How do you communicate this to the client?

I informed the client about the vulnerability promptly and straightforwardly, providing details and potential risks without raising any unwarranted red flags.

2. What steps would you take if the client refuses to fix a critical vulnerability?

In this case, I will follow the below steps to fix the issue:

1. Document the Refusal,
2. Escalate Within the Organization,
3. Seek Legal Counsel,
4. Consider Termination of Services and
5. Notify Relevant Authorities.

3. How do you ensure that your VAPT reports are actionable and easy to understand for non-technical stakeholders?

I can accomplish that by ranking the most important vulnerabilities, speaking in simple, understandable terms, and providing remediation advice and doable suggestions.

4. What is your approach to continuous learning and staying updated with the latest VAPT?

I can choose a reputable training facility with the greatest learning environment and a training program based on VAPT skills.

Conclusion

To learn Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, you can search for a reputed training institute that can offer you the best learning experience. For that, you can get in contact with Craw Security.

It offers the Advanced Penetration Testing Course in Singapore with the support of professionals in penetration testing skills with years of experience in the IT industry. With that, students benefit from a virtual lab to test their knowledge & skills on live machines.

During the sessions, students can also go through the online session mode provided by Craw Security to learn the skills remotely. After completing the Advanced Penetration Testing Course in Singapore offered by Craw Security, students will get a certificate validating their honed knowledge & skills during the sessions. What are you waiting for? Enroll, Now!