Master Static Application Security Testing (SAST) for Enhanced Code Security

Question 1

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

It examines the source code of an application to identify vulnerabilities.

Answer

It tests an application's functionality during live usage.

Answer

It relies on runtime testing to detect vulnerabilities.

Answer

It involves manual code inspection as its primary method.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of employing SAST in application security?

Accepted Answer

To uncover vulnerabilities within the source code.

Answer

To ensure compliance with specific security standards.

Answer

To automate security assessment procedures.

Answer

To enhance the overall performance of the application.

Question 3

What is a key advantage of utilizing SAST?

Accepted Answer

Early detection of vulnerabilities prior to deployment.

Answer

Comprehensive testing of all code paths.

Answer

Elimination of the need for manual code reviews.

Question 4

Provide an example of a common SAST tool.

Accepted Answer

SonarQube

Answer

Wireshark

Answer

Burp Suite

Answer

Nessus

Question 5

Describe the typical workflow of a SAST process.

Accepted Answer

Source code analysis -> Vulnerability identification -> Reporting

Answer

Testing -> Verification -> Validation

Answer

Fuzzing -> Exploitation -> Scanning

Question 6

How can SAST be successfully integrated into the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

Accepted Answer

By automating it as part of the build process.

Answer

By performing it exclusively after the coding phase.

Answer

By outsourcing it to specialized security teams.

Answer

By using separate hardware and software infrastructure.

Question 7

Suggest a strategy to enhance the effectiveness of SAST.

Accepted Answer

Fine-tuning analysis rules and integrating with complementary security tools.

Answer

Employing open-source SAST tools over commercial ones.

Answer

Increasing the frequency of scans without refinement.

Question 8

Explain the relationship between SAST and other security testing techniques.

Accepted Answer

It complements other techniques such as DAST and IAST.

Answer

It must be used solely with penetration testing.

Answer

It completely replaces all other security testing methods.

Question 9

Which of the following is the primary benefit of using Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

Early identification of vulnerabilities within the source code

Answer

Real-time prevention of attacks

Answer

Enhancement of code speed and efficiency

Question 10

In conjunction with SAST, which testing technique is commonly employed?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

Answer

Penetration Testing

Answer

Vulnerability Scanning

Question 11

What type of analysis does SAST primarily perform on the source code?

Accepted Answer

Control flow and data flow analysis

Answer

Network traffic analysis

Answer

Runtime analysis

Answer

User behavior analysis

Question 12

Which of the following is a potential limitation associated with SAST?

Accepted Answer

Inability to detect all types of vulnerabilities

Answer

Requirement for extensive technical expertise

Answer

Compatibility only with compiled code

Answer

Introduction of performance bottlenecks

Question 13

Within a DevOps environment, what is a potential challenge faced when implementing SAST?

Accepted Answer

Integration with continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines

Answer

Shortage of skilled personnel

Answer

High demand for computational resources

Question 14

What is the primary purpose of utilizing a suppression list in SAST?

Accepted Answer

Excluding known false positives from being reported

Answer

Prioritizing vulnerabilities based on severity

Answer

Masking sensitive information in reports

Question 15

What is a fundamental difference between SAST and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)?

Accepted Answer

SAST analyzes static source code, while DAST analyzes dynamic runtime behavior

Answer

DAST is capable of detecting vulnerabilities in third-party libraries

Answer

SAST provides higher accuracy than DAST

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a tool commonly used for performing SAST?

Accepted Answer

SonarQube

Answer

Wireshark

Answer

Burp Suite

Answer

Nessus

Question 17

Which of the following is the primary goal of Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

Identify vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in the source code

Answer

Encrypt sensitive data in transit

Answer

Detect malware infections in real-time

Answer

Evaluate the performance of an application

Question 18

Which type of vulnerability can be detected by SAST?

Accepted Answer

Injection flaws (e.g., SQL injection, command injection)

Answer

Network vulnerabilities (e.g., cross-site scripting, buffer overflow)

Answer

Brute force attacks

Question 19

Which of the following is a widely used commercial tool for SAST?

Accepted Answer

Fortify

Answer

Burp Suite (web application security testing tool)

Answer

Wireshark (network protocol analyzer)

Answer

Metasploit (penetration testing framework)

Question 20

What is a key advantage of using SAST?

Accepted Answer

Early detection of vulnerabilities during the development phase

Answer

Increased code efficiency

Answer

Improved application performance

Answer

Reduced testing time

Question 21

What is the typical output of a SAST scan?

Accepted Answer

A report detailing the vulnerabilities identified in the source code

Answer

A detailed analysis of the application's architecture

Answer

A list of recommended security measures

Answer

A patched version of the application

Question 22

Which of the following is a best practice for implementing SAST effectively?

Accepted Answer

Regularly scanning code changes as part of the development workflow

Answer

Using outdated SAST tools

Answer

Relying solely on SAST for application security

Answer

Ignoring low-risk vulnerabilities

Question 23

How does SAST differ from Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)?

Accepted Answer

SAST analyzes source code, while DAST analyzes application behavior during runtime

Answer

DAST is more accurate than SAST

Answer

SAST is manual, while DAST is automated

Question 24

When selecting a SAST tool, which factor should be given the highest priority?

Accepted Answer

Coverage and accuracy of vulnerability detection capabilities

Answer

Integration with other security tools

Answer

Cost of the tool

Question 25

Which of the following is a potential limitation of using Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

It cannot comprehensively analyze all types of vulnerabilities, potentially leaving some security risks undetected.

Answer

It provides real-time protection against vulnerabilities, swiftly addressing threats as they emerge.

Answer

It can comprehensively analyze all types of vulnerabilities, ensuring the complete security of an application.

Question 26

What is the primary function of a SAST tool?

Accepted Answer

Source code analysis, examining the codebase to identify potential security vulnerabilities.

Answer

Endpoint detection and response, actively monitoring endpoints for threats and responding to detected incidents.

Answer

Log file analysis, reviewing application logs to detect anomalies or suspicious activities.

Answer

Network traffic analysis, monitoring network communications to identify malicious patterns or intrusions.

Question 27

Which scanning technique is commonly employed in SAST?

Accepted Answer

Pattern matching, comparing the codebase against known patterns of vulnerabilities and security risks.

Answer

Fuzzing, deliberately providing invalid or unexpected inputs to the application to uncover vulnerabilities.

Answer

Vulnerability assessment, evaluating an application's security posture by identifying and assessing potential vulnerabilities.

Answer

Penetration testing, simulating real-world attacks to assess the effectiveness of an application's security measures.

Question 28

What is the typical output of a SAST tool?

Accepted Answer

A report listing potential vulnerabilities, their locations within the codebase, and recommended remediation actions.

Answer

A set of instructions detailing the steps necessary to fix the identified vulnerabilities.

Answer

A comprehensive security report, summarizing the findings of the SAST analysis and providing an overall risk assessment.

Question 29

In the context of SAST, what is a false positive?

Accepted Answer

A reported vulnerability that does not exist in the codebase, resulting in wasted time and resources spent on unnecessary remediation.

Answer

A vulnerability that exists in the codebase but is unlikely to be exploited, posing minimal risk to the application.

Answer

A vulnerability that already exists in the codebase and is known to the development team, making it a redundant finding.

Question 30

Which practice is recommended for effective SAST implementation?

Accepted Answer

Integrating SAST as part of a comprehensive application security testing program, ensuring vulnerabilities are identified and addressed throughout the development lifecycle.

Answer

Limiting SAST to critical applications, neglecting the importance of securing all applications within an organization's portfolio.

Answer

Conducting SAST only after application development is complete, potentially missing vulnerabilities introduced during earlier stages.

Question 31

What is a common scenario where SAST is utilized?

Accepted Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities in a web application prior to deployment, ensuring its security before it becomes accessible to users.

Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities in mobile applications, which often require different testing approaches due to their unique characteristics.

Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, which is typically managed by cloud providers and not directly accessible to application developers.

Question 32

In which testing environment is SAST typically employed?

Accepted Answer

Development and pre-production environments, where vulnerabilities can be identified and addressed before deployment to production.

Answer

Production environments, where applications are already deployed and vulnerable to real-world attacks.

Answer

Testing environments, where applications undergo rigorous testing before being released to users.

Answer

Staging environments, which serve as a replica of the production environment for testing purposes.

Question 33

Which of the following best describes a primary benefit of Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

Early identification of security vulnerabilities in source code

Answer

Real-time protection against malicious attacks

Answer

Automated testing of running applications

Answer

Analysis of network traffic

Question 34

What type of testing approach is employed by SAST tools?

Accepted Answer

White-box testing

Answer

Black-box testing

Answer

Manual testing

Answer

Grey-box testing

Question 35

Which of the following techniques is a common component of SAST?

Accepted Answer

Control-flow analysis

Answer

Protocol fuzzing

Answer

Penetration testing

Answer

Vulnerability scanning

Question 36

What is the primary function of a SAST tool?

Accepted Answer

To detect security vulnerabilities in source code

Answer

To prevent malicious attacks in real-time

Answer

To test the performance of running applications

Answer

To identify configuration issues in web servers

Question 37

Which of the following is a recognized limitation of SAST?

Accepted Answer

Inability to detect vulnerabilities in compiled code

Answer

Can be used to test any type of application

Answer

Provides real-time protection against attacks

Answer

Can identify all types of vulnerabilities

Question 38

What is considered a best practice for implementing SAST in the software development lifecycle?

Accepted Answer

Integrating SAST into the continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline

Answer

Using SAST tools only during security audits

Answer

Running SAST scans manually after code changes

Question 39

Which of the following types of vulnerabilities cannot be detected by SAST tools?

Accepted Answer

Timing attacks

Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Buffer overflows

Question 40

What is meant by a false positive in the context of SAST?

Accepted Answer

A reported vulnerability that does not actually exist in the code

Answer

A vulnerability that is already patched

Answer

A vulnerability that is difficult to exploit

Question 41

How can the number of false positives generated by SAST tools be reduced?

Accepted Answer

Configure SAST tools with appropriate settings

Answer

Manually review all reported vulnerabilities

Answer

Increase the sensitivity of SAST tools

Question 42

What is the fundamental difference between SAST and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)?

Accepted Answer

SAST analyzes source code, while DAST analyzes running applications

Answer

SAST is used during development, while DAST is used during testing

Answer

SAST is automated, while DAST is manual

Question 43

What is the primary goal of Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

To identify security vulnerabilities in the source code of an application.

Answer

To test the functionality of an application during runtime.

Answer

To monitor network traffic for suspicious activity.

Question 44

Which type of analysis does SAST primarily perform on source code?

Accepted Answer

Control flow analysis

Answer

Dynamic analysis

Answer

Network analysis

Answer

Protocol analysis

Question 45

What is the key difference between SAST and DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)?

Accepted Answer

SAST examines the source code, while DAST analyzes the application's behavior during runtime.

Answer

SAST is more accurate than DAST.

Answer

SAST is automated, while DAST is manually performed.

Question 46

Which of the following is a commonly used tool for performing SAST?

Accepted Answer

SonarQube

Answer

Burp Suite

Answer

Metasploit

Answer

Wireshark

Question 47

In which phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is SAST typically integrated?

Accepted Answer

Coding and Unit Testing

Answer

Deployment

Answer

Maintenance

Answer

Requirements Gathering

Question 48

Which of the following practices can contribute to the accuracy of SAST results?

Accepted Answer

Utilizing a combination of different SAST tools.

Answer

Disabling specific rules in the SAST tool.

Answer

Ignoring low-priority vulnerabilities.

Question 49

Which of the following is the primary purpose of Static Application Security Testing (SAST)?

Accepted Answer

Identify vulnerabilities in source code

Answer

Detect malicious network activity

Answer

Monitor application performance

Answer

Test runtime application behavior

Question 50

What is the primary technique employed by SAST?

Accepted Answer

Code analysis

Answer

Vulnerability scanning

Answer

Fuzz testing

Question 51

In the context of SAST, what is a false positive?

Accepted Answer

A reported vulnerability that does not exist

Answer

A vulnerability detected only in certain environments

Answer

A vulnerability reported multiple times

Question 52

Which of the following is a key benefit of using SAST?

Accepted Answer

Early detection of vulnerabilities

Answer

Improved application performance

Answer

Reduced development costs

Answer

Enhanced user experience

Question 53

Which industry-standard tool is commonly used for SAST?

Accepted Answer

Coverity Scan

Answer

Wireshark

Answer

Nmap

Answer

Burp Suite

Question 54

What are some challenges encountered when using SAST?

Accepted Answer

False positives, scalability, and integration with development tools

Answer

Lack of skilled professionals

Answer

High cost and complexity