CompTIA PenTest+ Practice Test

What is the process of stripping user-supplied input of unwanted or untrusted data called?

1. Input validation

2. Input parsing

3. Input sanitization

4. Input filtering

The correct answer is: Input sanitization

The process of stripping user-supplied input of unwanted or untrusted data is known as input sanitization. This practice involves cleaning and processing the input to remove or neutralize any potentially harmful data before it is processed or stored by an application. Input sanitization is critical in preventing security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other forms of injection attacks, which exploit unsanitized input. In this context, input sanitization helps ensure that only the acceptable and expected data is retained, effectively improving the security posture of an application. By implementing sanitization practices, developers can reduce the risk associated with utilizing data that might be manipulated or crafted by an attacker. While input validation, input parsing, and input filtering are related concepts, they serve different roles in the context of data handling. Input validation typically involves checking that the data meets certain criteria (like format or type), while input parsing breaks data into manageable parts. Input filtering, on the other hand, may include broader actions like rejecting or allowing certain types of data based on predefined rules, but it doesn't specify the act of cleaning the data in the same focused manner that sanitization does.