Penetration Testing Interview Questions Businesses today face constant cyber-attacks, making it essential to have personnel capable of effectively protecting their systems from such intrusions.

Penetration testing (commonly referred to as ethical hacking) detects system vulnerabilities via simulation attacks, making penetration testing an invaluable skill set for cybersecurity specialists.

Therefore, the penetration testing interview questions and answersfor positions such as web penetration testing interview questions may require considerable due diligence.

Here, we have assembled a selection of frequently requested Penetration Testing interview questions to assist you in preparing for an interview in this field.

Let’s work together to enhance our penetration testing skills!

1. What is penetration testing, and what does it involve?

Penetration testing involves vulnerability assessment and penetration of information systems using fishing, password cracking, and denial of service attacks.

2. Why do hackers and ethical hackers often prefer Linux?

Linux is preferred due to its extensive tool sets, advanced penetration testing, and security auditing features.

3. What is the reconnaissance phase in penetration testing?

The reconnaissance phase involves gathering information about the target victim, which becomes the attacker’s baseline.

4. What are the goals and processes of the scanning phase?

The scanning phase involves identifying live machines, scanning for open ports, protocols, and procedures, and identifying vulnerabilities.

5. What are the five phases of penetration testing?

The five phases are reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and covering tracks.

6. How is access gained in the penetration test?

Access is gained through social engineering attacks or exploiting vulnerabilities.

7. How is access maintained in the penetration test?

A Trojan is installed to maintain a backdoor entry, allowing the attacker to gain backdoor access.

8. What are the different types of penetration tests from an ethical hacker’s perspective?

The black box test, excellent box test, and white box audit are the types of penetration tests.

9. What is the purpose of a black box test in penetration testing?

The black box test tests the penetration tester’s knowledge and the organisation’s security implementations.

It’s essential to ensure security and protection against potential threats.

10. What are the areas where penetration testing can detect vulnerabilities?

Penetration testing can detect vulnerabilities in network infrastructure, web applications, and wireless networks.

11. How are web applications exploited?

Attackers can exploit web applications by identifying vulnerabilities and gaining access to the network and devices within that network.

12. What are some popular penetration testing tools?

Popular penetration testing tools include Nesus Vulnerability Scanner, Why Shock, SQL Map, and the Ripper.

13. What is the purpose of a dictionary and brute force attack in penetration testing?

Dictionary and brute force attacks are used for automated password cracking to identify potential passwords that match the target password.

By understanding these tools and their capabilities, individuals can better protect themselves and their organisations from potential threats.

14. What is Meta exploit and its purpose in penetration testing?

Meta exploit is a penetration testing framework that simplifies hacking by identifying vulnerabilities and running exploits.

15. What are the two types of exploits?

There are two types of exploits: active and passive.

Active exploits run until execution and exit, while passive exploits wait for incoming requests and exploit them.

16. How is a malformed SQL query created for a login attack?

A malformed SQL query is created by typing in a single quote and “login” to cause an error compared to a proper text-based login mechanism.

17. How does the application understanding play a role in SQL injection attacks?

Application understanding is crucial for identifying the database and crafting SQL queries that work.

The same query used on a login page may bypass authentication.

18. What methods are used to access user and password data on a Windows 7 machine?

Methods include logging in using a user look-up form for a database dump, checking other users’ passwords, and importing local system hashes to crack passwords using dictionary-based or brute-force attacks.

19. What type of hash attack is described?

An NTLM hash attack using numeric 0 through 9 and special characters between 7 and 16.

20. What methods are used to access user passwords?

We are creating fake user logins or remotely accessing a machine.

21. What are some reasons for conducting penetration testing?

We measure organisational security policy compliance, test staff awareness of security issues, and determine response strategies to security disasters.

22. What are the five phases of penetration testing?

Planning, scanning, execution, analysis, and output.

23. What is the primary goal of the execution phase in penetration testing?

To launch an attack on the targeted system and check its vulnerability.

24. Name a popular penetration testing tool used to analyse the results of a penetration test.

The best penetration tool is also called as Metasploit.

25. Why are vulnerabilities categorised as critical, high, medium, or low during the analysis phase?

To prioritise and categorise the level of risk associated with each vulnerability.

26. What is the main objective of network penetration testing?

To discover weaknesses and loopholes in an organisation’s network infrastructure.

Standard software packages examined include secure shell, SQL server, MySQL, and S M T P protocol.

27. What types of software packages are examined in standard penetration testing?

Secure shell, SQL server, MySQL, and S M T P protocol.

28. What is the focus of web application penetration testing?

We are examining vulnerabilities in web-based applications like Active Eggs, Silver Right, Java applets, and APIs.

29. What are the two subsets of social engineering tests?

Remote testing (electronic means) and physical testing (physical means).

30. What is the main advantage of using penetration testing tools?

We are reducing the burden of conducting penetration tests, identifying loopholes, providing accurate findings, and automating manual tasks.

31. What is Meta-sploit, and what does it offer?

Meta-sploit is an open-source computer security project that provides information about security vulnerabilities and aids penetration testing.

It offers various capabilities for skilled attackers to generate payloads and shell codes, gain access, and perform privileged escalation attacks.

32. What are the two ways to access Meta-sploit?

Armitage (a Java-based graphical user interface) and MSF console (a command-line interface).

33. What is the recommended virtual machine for general web application penetration or penetration testing?

The recommended virtual machine for general web applications in penetration is Linux.

34. What is Meta-exploitable two, and where can it be downloaded from?

Meta-exploitable two is a vulnerability application or server penetration testing tool.

It can be downloaded from source4stotnet.

35. What software does Meta-exploitable Two use, and how is it installed?

Meta-Splitable Two uses a VMware virtual machine with Ubuntu, Meta-Splitable Two, and Linux.

The software can be installed by clicking the “custom” or “typical” option, adding the I S O file, and continuing the installation process.

36. What are the various applications available on the Linux homepage?

Testing, web application analysis, information gathering, forensics, and password attacks.

37. What is the purpose of changing the network card’s IP address for Metasploitable?

To enable the host, Metasploitable, to use the newly designed IP address.

38. What tool is used in the display framework to scan systems and networks for vulnerabilities?

In map scans systems and networks for vulnerabilities linked to open ports.

The command is Nmap and help, which lists all options under Nmap and shows examples.

39. What two options are used for scanning in the display framework?

The iPhone V command prints version numbers and is used for scanning.

If in s probes open ports to determine service or version information.

40. What does the Metasploitable framework allow users to do?

The Metasploitable framework allows users to exploit system, network, and application vulnerabilities using various modules and tools.

41. What is Combine, and what is it used for?

Combine is a free software re-implementation of Combine at the working protocol, which is used by operating systems like Windows for client-server networking.

It runs on ports 139 and 445 in T C P. To run a server.

The firewall must be open to allow these ports in.

42. How do you find the version of Samba and exploit it?

To find the version of Samba using auxiliaries and exploits, use search, a samba, and specify the disclosure rate for each module.

Select an excellent-ranking module to perform the exploit.

43. How do you interact with a module and set scanning parameters?

Use the command “use type use” to interact with the module of a given name.

Use the info command to set the scanning parameter and list all the information regarding this module.

Set the remote host as our host system and threats as the number of times you want to run the module.

44. What are the different exploits available in the Metasprovidable framework?

Exploits for operating systems like Apple iOS, Linux, Irex, and Solaris.

45. What is the main focus of penetration testing?

Penetration testing identifies, classifies, and prioritisescomputer systems, applications, and network infrastructure vulnerabilities.

46. What are the three steps involved in vulnerability assessment?

We identify assets and vulnerabilities, quantify the assessment, and report results.

47. How is Metasploit related to Meta exploitable?

Meta exploitable is an intentionally vulnerable target for practising Metasploit skills.

48. How do you start Metasploit, and what is the significance of the banner display?

To start Metasploit, users must go to their Linux terminal and create a post-ray S Q L server.

The banner changes every time and displays a Metasploit cyber missile.

The MSF shell is the Metasploit framework shell.

49. What are the two versions of Metasploit, and which is suitable for beginners?

Metasploit has two versions: the free version (the original framework) and Metasploit Pro, which has a 14-day free trial.

The free version is the best option for beginners practising pen testing.

50. What first command should users run on Metasploit, and why?

The first command users should run on Metasploit is “help.”

It provides information about the framework and its features.

51. What are the three main types of modules in Metasploit?

Metasploit’s three main types of modules are vulnerability, use, and payload.

52. What are some examples of Metasploit exploits?

Metasploit offers a variety of exploits, including Android, Windows, Adobe Flash, FTP, MySQL, and ASS P.N E T exploits.

53. How do you choose and access more information about an exploit in Metasploit?

Double-click on the exploit’s name, select it, control shift C in your terminal to copy it, and go to info and paste the exploit’s name.

54. Why is setting the options before using an exploit essential?

Option settings, such as providing a password field, can be necessary or optional.

These options help ensure the exploit is executed correctly and the user successfully exploits the system.

55. What are the main modules available in the Metasploitable framework?

Nupias, coders, payloads, post auxiliary, and exploits.

Let’s get started with the significant multiple-choice questions on this platform!!

1. What is Penetration testing in the context of information systems?

To Run a scanning tool to identify potential organisational flaws or vulnerabilities. ✔️

We are creating viruses, worms, and Trojans.

Advanced penetration testing and security auditing features.

None of the above.

2. What operating system is often used by hackers and ethical hackers?

Linux ✔️

Windows

Mac OS

Android

3. What is the purpose of the 600+ tools available in Linux for hackers?

For computer foreign reverse engineering, information finding, and creating viruses, worms, and Trojans. ✔️

Protect the system from hackers.

Perform vulnerability assessment.

None of the above.

4. What is the recognisance phase in penetration testing?

Hackers leverage tools for various information security tasks.

Perform vulnerability assessment.

The phase where hackers gather information about the target victim. ✔️

Hackers identify live machines within the network.

5. What is the primary goal of the scanning phase in penetration testing?

Identify unavailable or shut-down machines.

Find machines that have booted up, have an operating system, and are running on the network.

Develop attacks based on identified vulnerabilities.

Scan for open ports and service versions. ✔️

6. What are the entry points for technical attacks?

Closed ports.

Unavailable machines.

Open ports. ✔️

Shut down machines.

7. What is the purpose of a Liberty scan in penetration testing?

Identify available machines.

Find machines with an operating system.

To identify vulnerabilities in services. ✔️

Specify service versions.

8. How many phases are there in penetration testing?

3

4

5

6 ✔️

9. What is the importance of carefully considering the approach and potential risks in penetration testing?

To avoid causing harm to the target system. ✔️

Ensure the use of the most advanced tools and techniques.

Minimise the time spent on each phase.

Maximise the number of vulnerabilities identified.

10. What is the purpose of conducting penetration tests in different ways?

Examine the information of the penetration tester.

Assess the organisation’s security implementations.

To identify and prevent attacks.

All of the above. ✔️

11. Which tools are used for penetration testing on wireless networks?

Nessus Vulnerability Scanner

Linux

SQL Map, and Ripper.

All of the Above ✔️

During security penetration testing, interview questions are essential to protecting a company’s network and systems security.

As the interview questions above show, penetration testing requires trained professionals with extensive technical and soft skills and awareness of cybersecurity issues.

Companies should prioritise penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities and protect critical information against cyber-attacks.

This blog explains and promotes penetration testing’s importance and relevance.

As well as mobile application penetration testing interview questions.

An effective penetration tester must keep up with the latest tools and techniques since security is ongoing.

Thank You!!!