CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501) — Question 154

A penetration tester has written an application that performs a bit-by-bit XOR 0xFF operation on binaries prior to transmission over untrusted media. Which of the following BEST describes the action performed by this type of application?

Answer options

• A. Hashing
• B. Key exchange
• C. Encryption
• D. Obfusication

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D, as the XOR operation with a constant value is used to obfuscate the data, making it less recognizable. Options A and C refer to methods for securing data through hashing and encryption, respectively, which are not applicable here since the operation does not provide security but rather transforms the data format. Option B, key exchange, is unrelated as it involves the process of sharing cryptographic keys rather than altering the data itself.