Question

A security analyst is reviewing the latest vulnerability scan report for a web server following an incident. The vulnerability report showed no concerning findings. The vulnerability that was used to exploit the server is

present in historical vulnerability scan reports, and a patch is available for the vulnerability. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
A. Security patches failed to install due to a version incompatibility.
B. An adversary altered the vulnerability scan reports.
C. A zero-day vulnerability was used to exploit the web server.
D. The scan reported a false negative for the vulnerability.

Answer 1

D. The scan reported a false negative for the vulnerability.

Step-by-step explanation:

A false negative means that the vulnerability scan failed to detect the presence of the vulnerability. In this case, the historical vulnerability scan reports did indicate the presence of the vulnerability, and a patch is available for it. However, the latest scan report did not identify the vulnerability as a concern.

Possible reasons for a false negative could include an issue with the scanning tool or configuration, misconfiguration of the scanning process, or a failure in the scanning process itself.

It's important for the security analyst to investigate the cause of the false negative, review the scanning methodology, and ensure that the vulnerability is addressed by applying the available patch to mitigate any potential risks.