CompTIA PT0-002 Actual Questions

The best option for the penetration tester to maintain root-level persistence on this server during the test is to add a new user with ID 0 to the /etc/passwd file. This will allow the penetration tester to use the same user account as the other user, but with root privileges, meaning that it won’t disrupt the other user’s work. This can be done by adding a new line with the username and the numerical user ID 0 to the /etc/passwd file. For example, if the username for the other user is “johndoe”, the line to add would be “johndoe:x:0:0:John Doe:/root:/bin/bash”. After the user is added, the penetration tester can use the “su” command to switch to the new user and gain root privileges.

Nmap is a tool that can perform network scanning and enumeration by sending packets to hosts and analyzing their responses. The command Nmap -p 445 -n -T4 -open 172.21.0.0/16 would scan for SMB port 445 over a /16 network with the following options:

-p 445 specifies the port number to scan.

-n disables DNS resolution, which can speed up the scan by avoiding unnecessary queries.

-T4 sets the timing template to aggressive, which increases the speed of the scan by sending packets faster and waiting less for responses.

–open only shows hosts that have open ports, which can reduce the output and focus on relevant results. The other commands are not optimal for scanning SMB port 445 over a /16 network when stealth is not a concern and the task is time sensitive.

The most effective way for the tester to achieve this objective is to send a pretext email from the IT department before sending the download instructions later. A pretext email is an email that uses deception or impersonation to trick users into believing that it is from a legitimate source or authority, such as the IT department. A pretext email can be used to establish trust or rapport with the users, and then persuade them to perform an action or provide information that benefits the attacker. In this case, the tester can send a pretext email from the IT department that informs users about an important update or maintenance task that requires them to download and run an executable file later. The tester can then send another email with the download instructions and attach or link to the malicious executable file. The users may be more likely to follow these instructions if they have received a prior email from the IT department that prepared them for this action. The other options are not as effective ways for the tester to achieve this objective. Dropping USB flash drives around the company campus with the file on it may not reach many users, as they may not find or pick up the USB flash drives, or they may be suspicious of their origin or content.