Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What can an attacker exploit if a website does not implement account lockout?

1. Limited connection attempts

2. Excessive user registrations

3. Repeated login attempts with varying session IDs

4. Session timeouts after inactivity

The correct answer is: Repeated login attempts with varying session IDs

When a website does not implement an account lockout mechanism, it leaves itself vulnerable to brute force attacks, where an attacker can repeatedly attempt to guess a user's password. The correct answer highlights that an attacker can perform repeated login attempts by utilizing different session IDs. This approach allows them to bypass any simple rate-limiting measures that may be in place, as the server may not be able to link multiple attempts to the same user account. By changing session IDs, the attacker can make it appear as if they are making new login attempts, thus circumventing protections meant to limit repeated access attempts. This vulnerability emphasizes the need for robust security measures, including account lockout policies, which temporarily disable user accounts after a predefined number of incorrect login attempts, effectively hindering brute force attempts and protecting user accounts from unauthorized access.