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Question

Difficulty: EasyHost, Network, and Architecture Vulnerabilities

During a baseline security audit of an enterprise network infrastructure, a systems administrator discovers an operational network switch that is still functioning with factory-assigned administrative username and password credentials. Which of the following best classifies this host and infrastructure security weakness?

  1. Default configuration vulnerabilityAnswer
  2. B
    Perimeter-based implicit trust assumption
  3. C
    Cross-site scripting application vulnerability
  4. D
    Network firewall access control rule failure

Answer

Default configuration vulnerability
The correct answer highlights a default configuration vulnerability. Manufacturers ship networking equipment with standard, publicly documented credentials to allow initial setup. Failing to change these default settings during system hardening exposes the host or infrastructure device to trivial exploitation by attackers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the system state described in the scenario
The network switch is actively operating using factory-set administrative username and password credentials.
Security hardening baselines require changing factory defaults prior to deploying equipment into production.
2
Classify the security flaw using standard host and infrastructure vulnerability definitions
Leaving manufacturer settings, default accounts, or default passwords active constitutes a default configuration vulnerability.
Attackers frequently attempt well-known default credentials to gain unauthorized administrative access to network hardware.

Key Concept

Default Configurations in Host and Infrastructure Hardening
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Topics

Host, Network, and Architecture Vulnerabilities