Practical Scripting for Offensive Operations GXPN Practice Questions (Page 2)

Questions 6–10

1. 6foundation · easy

   Which Python module is used to encode binary data into ASCII characters using the Base64 scheme?

   • Ahashlib
   • Bbinascii
   • Ccodecs
   • Dbase64
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2. 7application · medium

   You are writing a Python script that will be uploaded to a VirusTotal-like scanner. The script contains strings like `http://malicious.com` and `cmd.exe` that are flagged by static analysis. You need to reduce the detection rate without changing the script's functionality. Which technique is most effective?

   • AStore the suspicious strings as hex or base64 and decode them at runtime.
   • BUse a different variable name for the strings.
   • CSplit the strings into smaller parts and concatenate them with `+`.
   • DAdd comments to the script to confuse the scanner.
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4. 8application · medium

   You are writing a Python script to interact with a custom TCP service that expects a 4-byte length prefix followed by a JSON payload. You need to send a message and receive a response. Which approach correctly handles the length prefix?

   • AUse struct.pack('!I', len(payload)) + payload.encode() and send over a socket.
   • BUse len(payload).to_bytes(4, 'little') + payload.encode() and send over a socket.
   • CUse json.dumps(payload).encode() and send it without a length prefix.
   • DSend the payload followed by the length prefix.
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5. 9expert · hard

   You are developing a buffer overflow exploit for a legacy service. The service crashes when you send a 300-byte payload, and you need to control the return address. You have identified the offset to EIP as 200 bytes. The target environment has ASLR enabled, but the module you are targeting is not ASLR-aware. Which approach is most reliable?

   • ADisable ASLR by modifying the registry on the target.
   • BUse a heap spray to place shellcode at a predictable address.
   • CUse a JMP ESP instruction at a fixed address in the non-ASLR module and place shellcode after the return address.
   • DUse a return-to-libc technique to call system() with a fixed address.
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6. 10expert · hard

   Your Python script that automates a brute-force attack against a web login is running slowly because it processes requests sequentially. You need to increase speed without overwhelming the target or causing a denial of service. Which optimization is most appropriate?

   • AUse `asyncio` and `aiohttp` to send all requests concurrently without any limit.
   • BIncrease the timeout value for each request to ensure responses are received.
   • CRewrite the script in C for faster execution.
   • DUse the `concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor` with a limited number of workers (e.g., 5) to send requests in parallel.
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