CompTIA CASP+ (CAS-003) — Question 357

An online bank has contracted with a consultant to perform a security assessment of the bank's web portal. The consultant notices the login page is linked from the main page with HTTPS, but when the URL is changed to HTTP, the browser is automatically redirected back to the HTTPS site. Which of the following is a concern for the consultant, and how can it be mitigated?

Answer options

• A. XSS could be used to inject code into the login page during the redirect to the HTTPS site. The consultant should implement a WAF to prevent this.
• B. The consultant is concerned the site is using an older version of the SSL 3.0 protocol that is vulnerable to a variety of attacks. Upgrading the site to TLS 1.0 would mitigate this issue.
• C. The HTTP traffic is vulnerable to network sniffing, which could disclose usernames and passwords to an attacker. The consultant should recommend disabling HTTP on the web server.
• D. A successful MITM attack Could intercept the redirect and use sslstrip to decrypt further HTTPS traffic. Implementing HSTS on the web server would prevent this.

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D because a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack can exploit the redirect from HTTP to HTTPS, potentially allowing an attacker to intercept and manipulate traffic. HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) enforces the use of HTTPS, preventing such attacks. Options A, B, and C address different concerns that are not the primary issue related to the redirection and do not effectively mitigate the MITM threat.