Secure-Software-Design WGU Secure Software Design (D487, KEO1) Exam Questions and Answers

The security assessment deliverable that identifies unmanaged code that must be kept up to date throughout the life of the product is the List of third-party software. Unmanaged code refers to code that does not run under the garbage-collected environment of the .NET Common Language Runtime, and it often includes legacy code, system libraries, or code written in languages that do not support automatic memory management. Keeping a list of third-party software is crucial because it helps organizations track dependencies and ensure they are updated, patched, and compliant with security standards. This is essential for maintaining the security posture of the software over time, as outdated components can introduce vulnerabilities.

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Throttling is a common and effective mitigation technique against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. It limits the number of requests a user or IP can send over a certain time period, preventing resource exhaustion. This reduces the risk of overwhelming servers, which is the core issue in DoS attacks. Digital signatures (A) protect data integrity and authenticity, Protect secrets (B) secures confidential information, and Timestamps (C) help prevent replay attacks but are not direct defenses for DoS. According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 (Computer Security Incident Handling Guide) and OWASP DoS Prevention, throttling and rate limiting are standard controls to maintain availability under attack conditions.

Manual code review is a type of security analysis that requires a significant time investment from a highly skilled team member. This process involves a detailed and thorough examination of the source code to identify security vulnerabilities that automated tools might miss. It is labor-intensive because it relies on the expertise of the reviewer to understand the context, logic, and potential security implications of the code. Unlike automated methods like static or dynamic code analysis, manual code review demands a deep understanding of the codebase, which can be time-consuming and requires a high level of skill and experience.

The core issue here is cleartext transmission of sensitive data, and option C directly addresses this:

Addressing the Problem: The scenario reveals the vulnerability is the lack of encryption during data transmission (the GET response). Ensuring encryption in transit fixes this specific exploit.

Transport Layer Security: Encryption during transit is typically achieved through protocols like TLS (HTTPS), preventing the interception of sensitive information.

The secure coding best practice that recommends using a single application-level authorization component to lock down the application if it cannot access its configuration information is known as Access Control. This practice is part of a broader set of security measures aimed at ensuring that only authorized users have access to certain functionalities or data within an application. By centralizing the authorization logic, it becomes easier to manage and enforce security policies consistently across the application. If the authorization component cannot retrieve its configuration, it defaults to a secure state, thus preventing unauthorized access1.

Static analysis is a method used to detect vulnerabilities in software without executing the code. It involves examining the codebase for patterns that are indicative of security issues, such as SQL injection vulnerabilities. This technique can identify potential threats and weaknesses by analyzing the code’s structure, syntax, and data flow.

The secure coding best practice that requires authentication before allowing any files to be uploaded, and limits the types of files to only those needed for the business purpose, falls under the category of File Management. This practice is crucial for preventing unauthorized file uploads, which can be a common vector for attacks such as uploading malicious files or scripts. By enforcing authentication, the application ensures that only legitimate users can upload files. Additionally, restricting the file types to those necessary for business operations minimizes the risk of uploading potentially harmful files that could compromise the system.

The step of the PASTA threat modeling methodology where the team will capture infrastructure, application, and software dependencies is the Define technical scope step. This step involves detailing the technical elements of the project, which includes understanding and documenting the infrastructure, applications, and software dependencies that are critical to the system’s operation and security.

The Intelligence domain in the Building Security in Maturity Model (BSIMM) focuses on gathering and using information about software security. This includes understanding the types of attacks that are possible against the software being developed, which is why reviewing attack models falls under this domain. The BSIMM domain of Intelligence involves creating models of potential attacks on software (attack models), analyzing actual attacks that have occurred (attack intelligence), and sharing this information to improve security measures. By reviewing attack models, the software security group is essentially assessing the organization’s ability to anticipate and understand potential security threats, which is a key aspect of the Intelligence domain.

The category of secure software best practices being described is Training. This is because the focus is on educating new developers about organizational security policies and coding practices to mitigate potential threats. Training is a proactive approach to ensure that developers are aware of security concerns and are equipped with the knowledge to address them in their coding practices.

White box testing, also known as clear box testing, glass box testing, transparent box testing, and structural testing, is a method of software testing where the internal structure, design, and coding of the software are tested to verify the flow of input-output and to improve the design, usability, and security. It involves looking at the structures that are internal to the system, with the tester having knowledge of the internal workings of the product. This type of testing is concerned with examining the internal logical structures of the program and is typically performed by stepping through the code line by line to analyze the program for potential errors, which aligns with the description of the control test in question.

The practice of clearing all local storage when a user logs off and automatically logging a user out after an hour of inactivity falls under the category of Session Management. This is a security measure designed to prevent unauthorized access to a user’s session and to protect sensitive data that might be stored in the local storage. By clearing the local storage, any tokens, session identifiers, or other sensitive information are removed, reducing the risk of session hijacking or other attacks. The automatic logout feature ensures that inactive sessions do not remain open indefinitely, which could otherwise be exploited by attackers.

The software control test that examines an application from a user perspective by providing a wide variety of input scenarios and inspecting the output is known as black box testing. This testing method focuses on the functionality of the application rather than its internal structures or workings. Testers provide inputs and examine outputs without knowing how and where the inputs are worked upon. It’s designed to test the system’s external behavior.

Black box testing is used to verify that the system meets the requirements and behaves as expected in various scenarios, including edge cases and incorrect input data. It helps in identifying discrepancies between the system’s actual functionality and its specified requirements.

This type of testing is applicable across various levels of software testing, including unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing. It is particularly useful for validating user stories and use cases during the software development process.

Since black box testing treats the software as a “black box”, it does not require the tester to have knowledge of the programming languages or the system’s implementation. This allows testers to objectively test the software’s behavior and performance.

 Data flow analysis is a manual code review technique where the reviewer traces the path of data from its entry point in the software (input control) through its processing and manipulation within the application, to its exit points (outputs). This technique is used to ensure that the data is handled securely throughout its lifecycle within the application and to identify any potential security vulnerabilities that may arise from improper data handling or processing12

The phase being described is the Deployment phase of the SDLC. This phase involves making the software available for use by customers after it has been developed, tested, and approved for release. It includes the installation of the software in the production environment, ensuring that all features are operational as intended, and obtaining formal approval from leadership to proceed with making the product available to end-users. The deployment phase is critical as it transitions the software from a development setting to a real-world operational environment.

Option D best addresses security change management, here's why:

Focus on Change: The question directly asks about a modification to how remote administration is secured. This aligns with the core goal of security change management, which is to evaluate and control the security implications of changes to systems.

Security-Specific: The question is explicitly concerned with security, not general functionality or requirements.

Practical Aspect: Remote administration access is a frequent target for attackers, making it a common area for security change management scrutiny.

In the PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) threat modeling methodology, vulnerability and exploit analysis is performed during the Attack modeling step. This step involves identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities within the system and understanding how they could be exploited.

Attack modeling is a critical phase where the focus is on simulating attacks based on identified vulnerabilities. It allows for a deep understanding of the threats in the context of the application’s architecture and system design.

During this phase, security analysts use their knowledge of the system’s technical scope and application decomposition to simulate how an attacker could exploit the system’s vulnerabilities. This helps in prioritizing the risks and planning appropriate mitigation strategies.

The goal of attack modeling is not just to identify vulnerabilities but also to understand the potential impact of exploits on the system and the business, which is essential for developing a robust security posture.

The activity being performed is the final privacy review. This step is crucial in the Ship phase of the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL), where the security team assesses if there are any changes or unresolved issues that could impact the requirements for handling personal information. These requirements are typically documented in the earlier stages of the development lifecycle, and the final privacy review ensures that the software complies with these requirements before release.

The last step of the SDLC code review process is to review the code for security issues. This involves a detailed examination of the code to identify any potential security vulnerabilities that could be exploited. It’s a critical phase where the focus is on ensuring that the code adheres to security best practices and does not contain any flaws that could compromise the security of the application or system. The process typically includes manual inspection as well as automated tools to scan for common security issues. The goal is to ensure that the software is as secure as possible before it is deployed. References: Mastering the Code Review Process, Understanding the SDLC, How Code Reviews Improve Software Quality in SDLC - LinkedIn.

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Preventing the disclosure of sensitive information in application responses is primarily addressed by implementing proper Error Handling and Logging practices.

When errors occur, applications may inadvertently reveal sensitive data through detailed error messages. To mitigate this risk, error handling mechanisms should be designed to provide generic error messages to end-users, while detailed error information is logged securely for internal review. This approach ensures that sensitive information, such as system configurations, stack traces, or personal data, is not exposed to unauthorized users.

The OWASP Secure Coding Practices emphasize the importance of error handling and logging to prevent information leakage:

"Ensure that error messages displayed to users do not reveal sensitive information that can be exploited by attackers."

One of the four core values of the Agile Manifesto is prioritizing “individuals and interactions over processes and tools.” This value emphasizes the importance of the human element in software development, advocating for direct communication, collaboration, and the flexibility to adapt to change over strict adherence to rigid processes or reliance on specific tools. It recognizes that while processes and tools are important, they should serve the team and the individuals within it, rather than the other way around.

The phase being described is the Planning phase of the SDLC. This initial stage involves gathering business requirements and evaluating the feasibility of the project. It’s when the company leadership would typically meet with IT and other stakeholders to share visions for the future, discuss potential revenue streams, and determine the project’s direction before moving forward with development. This phase is crucial for setting the groundwork for all subsequent phases of the SDLC.

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) uses the following ranges to determine the severity rating of a vulnerability:

0.1 - 3.9: Low severity

4.0 - 6.9: Medium severity

7.0 - 8.9: High severity

9.0 - 10.0: Critical severity

Since the adjusted score for the vulnerability is 5.9, it falls within the High severity range.