Question

Difficulty: MediumVulnerability Scanning and Assessment

Following an enterprise-wide remediation effort to patch critical remote code execution vulnerabilities across multiple database servers, a security analyst must confirm that all identified flaws have been successfully resolved. To complete this verification efficiently without causing unnecessary network overhead or waiting for a complete multi-subnet scan cycle, which of the following scanning approaches should the analyst execute?

  1. Execute a targeted differential scan scoped specifically to the previously affected assets and CVE identifiers.Answer
  2. B
    Configure inline firewall rules to block inbound network access to the database ports instead of verifying patch installation.
  3. C
    Deploy web application firewall rules configured to filter cross-site scripting payloads across the internal server subnet.
  4. D
    Deploy an intrusion detection system as a detective security control to replace scheduled follow-up vulnerability assessments.

Answer

Execute a targeted differential scan scoped specifically to the previously affected assets and CVE identifiers.
Executing a targeted differential scan (also known as a remediation scan) allows security analysts to re-assess only the specific hosts and vulnerabilities identified in prior reports. This approach directly validates patch deployment success while minimizing scan duration and network resource consumption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary goal of the security assessment task
The goal is to verify that previously reported vulnerabilities were successfully patched on specific servers.
Post-remediation verification requires auditing the state of known software flaws.
2
Evaluate operational constraints
The assessment must minimize network overhead and complete rapidly without initiating a full discovery sweep.
Running a complete enterprise vulnerability scan consumes significant network bandwidth and unnecessary processing time on unpatched systems.
3
Select the appropriate vulnerability scan configuration type
A targeted differential (or remediation) vulnerability scan focuses exclusively on previously flagged hosts and specific CVEs.
Differential scanning validates patch effectiveness quickly and efficiently without re-scanning unchanged assets.

Key Concept

Remediation and Differential Vulnerability Scanning
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