Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What type of server does a web cache poisoning attack target?

1. Application server

2. Web server

3. Database server

4. Proxy server

The correct answer is: Web server

A web cache poisoning attack primarily targets a proxy server. In this type of attack, the attacker injects malicious content into the cache of a proxy server that is used to store frequently accessed web data. Once this data is cached, subsequent requests from users to the proxy can result in the delivery of the poisoned content instead of the legitimate version, potentially leading to a range of security issues, including the exposure of sensitive information or the redirection of users to malicious sites. While web servers are involved in the broader web architecture and serve content directly to users, the mechanics of cache poisoning specifically exploit the caching mechanism present in proxy servers. Therefore, the correct focus is on the role of the proxy server in the attack rather than the web server itself.