Security testing basics in Testing Fundamentals - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding SQL Injection

Which of the following best describes what an SQL Injection attack is?

A An attack where malicious SQL code is inserted into input fields to manipulate the database.

B An attack that floods the server with too many requests to cause a denial of service.

C An attack that intercepts data packets between client and server to steal information.

D An attack that exploits weak passwords to gain unauthorized access.

💡 Hint

Think about how attackers might use input fields to harm databases.

SQL Injection involves inserting harmful SQL commands into input fields to trick the database into executing unintended commands.

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Output of Security Test Log Filtering

Given the following Python code that filters security logs for failed login attempts, what will be the output?

Testing Fundamentals

logs = ["login success", "login failed", "password reset", "login failed"]
failed_attempts = [log for log in logs if "failed" in log]
print(len(failed_attempts))

A 1

B 3

C 0

D 2

💡 Hint

Count how many log entries contain the word 'failed'.

The list comprehension filters logs containing 'failed'. There are exactly two such entries, so the length is 2.

❓ assertion

advanced

Validating Password Complexity Assertion

Which assertion correctly checks that a password string contains at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one digit?

A assert all(c.isupper() or c.islower() or c.isdigit() for c in password)

B assert password.isupper() and password.islower() and password.isdigit()

C assert any(c.isupper() for c in password) and any(c.islower() for c in password) and any(c.isdigit() for c in password)

D assert password.contains(uppercase) and password.contains(lowercase) and password.contains(digit)

💡 Hint

Check if at least one character of each type exists in the password.

Option C uses any() to verify presence of uppercase, lowercase, and digit characters. Other options are incorrect because they check all characters or use invalid methods.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Debugging Authentication Test Code

What error will this Python test code raise when run?

Testing Fundamentals

def test_login():
    username = "user1"
    password = "pass123"
    assert login(username, password) == True

def login(user, pwd):
    return user == "user1" and pwd == "pass1234"

A No error, test passes

B AssertionError

C NameError

D TypeError

💡 Hint

Check the password comparison in the login function.

The login function expects password 'pass1234' but test uses 'pass123', so assertion fails causing AssertionError.

❓ framework

expert

Choosing the Best Security Testing Framework Feature

Which feature is MOST important in a security testing framework to detect Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities?

A Ability to inject and detect malicious scripts in web input fields

B Capability to perform load testing under heavy traffic

C Support for automated UI responsiveness testing

D Integration with version control systems for code commits

💡 Hint

Think about what XSS attacks do to web applications.

XSS attacks inject malicious scripts into web inputs. A framework that can inject and detect such scripts is essential for finding XSS vulnerabilities.

Practice

1. What is the main goal of security testing in software development?

easy

A. To test if the software looks good on all devices

B. To check if the software works fast enough

C. To verify the software's spelling and grammar

D. To find and fix weaknesses that could let attackers harm the software

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of security testing

   Security testing aims to find weak points that attackers could exploit.

2. Step 2: Compare options to the goal

   Only To find and fix weaknesses that could let attackers harm the software talks about finding and fixing weaknesses to protect software.

3. Final Answer:

   To find and fix weaknesses that could let attackers harm the software -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Security testing = find weaknesses [OK]

Hint: Security testing finds weak spots to protect software [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing security testing with performance testing
• Thinking security testing checks UI design
• Mixing security testing with spell checking

2. Which of the following is the correct way to describe a security test case?

easy

A. Check if the login page accepts only valid usernames and passwords

B. Check if the page loads within 2 seconds

C. Check if the font size is consistent across pages

D. Check if the software supports multiple languages

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify what a security test case checks

   Security test cases verify protection against unauthorized access or attacks.

2. Step 2: Match options to security focus

   Check if the login page accepts only valid usernames and passwords tests login validation, which is a security check; others test performance, UI, or localization.

3. Final Answer:

   Check if the login page accepts only valid usernames and passwords -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Security test case = validate access control [OK]

Hint: Security tests check access and data protection [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing performance or UI tests as security tests
• Ignoring the focus on unauthorized access
• Confusing localization with security

3. Consider this simple security test code snippet in Python:

def test_password_length(password):
    return len(password) >= 8

result = test_password_length('pass123')
print(result)

What will be the output when this code runs?

medium

A. True

B. False

C. Error

D. None

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the function logic

   The function returns True if password length is 8 or more, else False.

2. Step 2: Check the input password length

   'pass123' has 7 characters, which is less than 8, so function returns False.

3. Final Answer:

   False -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Password length 7 < 8 = False [OK]

Hint: Count characters to check length condition [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming 'pass123' length is 8
• Confusing True/False return values
• Expecting an error due to missing input validation

4. You have this test code to check if a user input is safe:

def is_safe_input(user_input):
    if ''))

What is the problem with this test?

medium

A. It does not print anything

B. It will cause a syntax error because of quotes

C. It only checks for exact '<script>' but misses other attack forms

D. It always returns True regardless of input

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the input check logic

   The function looks only for the exact string '<script>' in input.

2. Step 2: Consider other attack variations

   Attackers can use variations like uppercase, spaces, or encoded forms that this check misses.

3. Final Answer:

   It only checks for exact '<script>' but misses other attack forms -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Exact string check misses variants [OK]

Hint: Check for all attack patterns, not just exact strings [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking the code has syntax errors
• Assuming it blocks all script attacks
• Believing it never returns False

5. You want to test a web app for SQL injection vulnerabilities. Which approach best combines manual and automated security testing?

hard

A. Use an automated scanner to find injection points, then manually try custom payloads to confirm and explore

B. Only run automated scanners and trust their results

C. Manually type random SQL commands without tools

D. Ignore SQL injection and focus on UI bugs

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the strengths of automated and manual testing

   Automated tools quickly find many injection points; manual tests explore complex cases.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options for best practice

   Use an automated scanner to find injection points, then manually try custom payloads to confirm and explore combines both methods effectively; others ignore manual checks or focus on unrelated issues.

3. Final Answer:

   Use an automated scanner to find injection points, then manually try custom payloads to confirm and explore -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Combine tools + manual tests for best security [OK]

Hint: Combine tools and manual tests for thorough security [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Relying only on automated tools
• Skipping manual testing
• Ignoring SQL injection risks