CompTIA PenTest+ Practice Test

Which framework is primarily used for launching post-exploitation attacks on an AWS account?

1. Invoke-Expression

2. Pacu

3. Empire

4. Metasploitable

The correct answer is: Pacu

Pacu is specifically designed as a penetration testing framework that focuses on AWS (Amazon Web Services) environments. It provides numerous modules that simulate the techniques and tools an attacker might use after gaining initial access to an AWS account, making it highly effective for post-exploitation activities. By using Pacu, testers can effectively evaluate the security posture of their AWS configurations and discover potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited further. It allows for the execution of various AWS-specific attacks, such as manipulating services, retrieving sensitive data, and even escalating privileges within the AWS environment. In contrast, the other choices do not primarily serve the same purpose in an AWS context. Invoke-Expression is a PowerShell cmdlet used to execute commands and is not AWS-specific. Empire is a post-exploitation framework, but it is generally focused on Windows environments and may not have the same specific capabilities for AWS as Pacu. Metasploitable is a vulnerable virtual machine intended for testing the Metasploit Framework and does not pertain directly to AWS post-exploitation activities. Thus, Pacu stands out as the correct choice for a framework primarily used for launching post-exploitation attacks on AWS accounts.