GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

What is the best mitigation strategy for command injections?

1. Using third-party security frameworks

2. Programming the application without external libraries and sanitizing user input

3. Only allowing administrator access to input data

4. Employing complex password systems

The correct answer is: Programming the application without external libraries and sanitizing user input

The best mitigation strategy for command injections involves programming the application without external libraries and ensuring that user input is properly sanitized. This approach is crucial because command injection vulnerabilities often arise from the application executing unintended commands embedded within user input. Sanitizing user input means implementing practices that ensure any input coming from users is correctly validated and cleansed before being processed by the application. This can involve using whitelists to accept only known good input, escaping special characters, and implementing checks to disallow or restrict critical commands that could disrupt system operations. By programming the application without relying on external libraries, developers can have more control over the code and reduce the attack surface, minimizing the amount of potentially vulnerable code that may introduce command injection risks. This proactive approach targets the core issue directly by preventing harmful commands from being executed, thereby reducing the potential for exploitation. Other strategies, while beneficial in specific contexts, do not directly address the fundamental risk associated with command injections as effectively as proper programming and sanitization practices.