GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

What does a Cross Site Request Forgery primarily involve?

1. An attack exploiting trust from a web application

2. A method to safely transmit files

3. A technique to enhance website security

4. A type of network encryption

The correct answer is: An attack exploiting trust from a web application

A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) primarily involves exploiting the trust that a web application has in the user's browser. In a CSRF attack, a malicious actor tricks a user into unknowingly submitting a request to a web application where they are authenticated. This often occurs when the user is logged into a site and the attack causes the browser to send an unwanted request that performs actions on behalf of the user without their consent or knowledge. For instance, if a user is authenticated on a banking website and visits a malicious site that sends a request to transfer money, the banking site may execute the transaction because it perceives the request as valid due to the user's authenticated session. The key factor in CSRF attacks is the trust established between the web application and the user's browser, which the attacker exploits to carry out potentially harmful actions without the user's intention. The other options relate to different concepts. Transmitting files safely refers to secure file transfer methods, enhancing website security involves various protective measures against vulnerabilities, and network encryption pertains to the techniques used to encode data traveling over a network. These do not capture the essence of what a CSRF attack entails.