GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

What type of exploit allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely, as described in CVE-2019-9874?

1. Remote Code Execution (RCE)

2. Heap corruption

3. Information disclosure

4. Buffer over-read

The correct answer is: Remote Code Execution (RCE)

The reason Remote Code Execution (RCE) is the correct answer is that it specifically refers to the ability of an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a target system from a remote location. In the context of CVE-2019-9874, this vulnerability is characterized by an attacker exploiting a flaw to run their own malicious code without requiring direct access to the victim's machine. RCE vulnerabilities are particularly severe because they allow attackers to take control of systems, steal sensitive information, or even disrupt services. The other options do not apply to this scenario. Heap corruption involves issues with memory management that can lead to various security problems but does not inherently imply the execution of arbitrary code by an attacker. Information disclosure refers to vulnerabilities that expose sensitive data without necessarily allowing code execution. Buffer over-read entails reading more data than allocated, which could result in sensitive information being exposed but does not allow for arbitrary code execution like an RCE does. Thus, the key aspect of RCE is the ability to execute malicious code remotely, making it the most fitting classification for the exploit in question.