Edge Computing Week 7 NPTEL Assignment Answers 2025

NPTEL Edge Computing Week 7 Assignment Answers 2024

1. In a ____________, an attacker finds an unknown vulnerability in a piece of code running on the target edge server/device, which can cause memory corruption and finally result in a service shutdown.

• a. Zero-day DDoS-attack
• b. Flooding-based DDoS attack
• c. Traditional DDoS-attack
• d. None of the above

Answer: a. Zero-day DDoS-attack
Explanation:
A Zero-day attack exploits unknown vulnerabilities not yet patched by the developer. In edge computing, this can lead to memory corruption and system shutdowns—commonly exploited for targeted DDoS (Denial-of-Service).

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2. ______ refer to those attacks that compromise a user’s security and privacy using any publicly accessible information.

• a. DDoS attacks
• b. Side-channel attacks
• c. Privacy attacks
• d. Injection attacks

Answer: b. Side-channel attacks
Explanation:
Side-channel attacks extract confidential information (like keystrokes, passwords, or encryption keys) using indirect methods like timing information or electromagnetic leaks—often exploiting publicly accessible metadata.

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3. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is ____________ a attack in which an attacker injects malicious JavaScript code into data content, which can be accessed and executed automatically by the ___________.

• a. server-side, servers
• b. server-side, clients
• c. client-side, servers
• d. client-side, clients

Answer: d. client-side, clients
Explanation:
XSS is a client-side attack where malicious scripts are injected into webpages and run in the browsers (clients) of unsuspecting users, affecting their session or stealing data.

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4. “IoT Reaper” virus captured in 2017 is an example of Server-Side Injections. The statement is,

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: b. False
Explanation:
The IoT Reaper is a botnet malware that infects IoT devices. It spreads using vulnerabilities in devices rather than server-side injection. So, the statement is False.

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5. Authentication-based attack is a _________, in which an attacker inputs all the possible credentials/passwords to the target authentication system in order to find a possible match.

• a. Dictionary attack
• b. Flooding attack
• c. DDoS attack
• d. Device-side Injection attack

Answer: a. Dictionary attack
Explanation:
A dictionary attack involves trying many pre-defined passwords (from a dictionary list) against an authentication system to find a match. It targets weak credentials.

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6. The root cause of _______ is the adoption of weak credentials in authentication protocols, while the root cause of __________ is the protocol-level design flaws or the implementation-level flaws.

• a. Dictionary attacks, DDoS attacks
• b. DDoS attacks, Dictionary attacks
• c. Malware attacks, DDoS attacks
• d. Malware attacks, Dictionary attacks

Answer: a. Dictionary attacks, DDoS attacks
Explanation:
Dictionary attacks rely on weak passwords. DDoS attacks, especially application-layer ones, often exploit flaws in protocol or implementation to overwhelm a system.

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7. The client devices in _______ computing are usually not interconnected, and thus, taking down a few of them may have limited influential impact; on the other hand, client devices in ___________ computing are typically interconnected, and thus, taking down a few can have a much more significant impact if the attacker spreads its attacks among these interconnected devices.

• a. cloud, edge
• b. edge, cloud

Answer: a. cloud, edge
Explanation:
Edge computing devices are interconnected and close to end-users. Compromising some can affect others. Cloud devices are more centralized and isolated.

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8. Usually, edge computing is vulnerable to attacks exploiting weaknesses in wireless-based authentication protocols such as WPA/WPA2, Bluetooth, and 4G/5G, while cloud computing is vulnerable to attacks exploiting weaknesses in those such as SSL/TLS that can be applied to wired protocols. The statement is,

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True
Explanation:
Edge devices often use wireless protocols (Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.) and are exposed to wireless vulnerabilities. Cloud servers mainly use SSL/TLS over wired networks for secure communication.

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9. Select the reasons leading to the implementation-level flaws in protocol design.

• a. Developers may misunderstand the foundations of the protocol
• b. There are always some unknown system bugs that can cause memory failures/corruptions
• c. Migrating a protocol from one platform to another may cause adaptivity inconsistencies
• d. Prevention against malware injection may not be taken into account in the design of protocols

Answer: a, c
Explanation:
Implementation flaws often arise due to misunderstanding protocol logic or porting issues between platforms, causing inconsistencies or missing validations.

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10. Attackers have a wider attack surface to launch side-channel attacks in edge computing because __________.

• a. Edge devices are typically unattended
• b. Edge devices are typically less powerful
• c. Edge devices are typically connected wirelessly
• d. Edge devices are typically stored on-premise

Answer: c. Edge devices are typically connected wirelessly
Explanation:
Wireless connectivity exposes edge devices to more side-channel attack vectors (timing leaks, signal interference, etc.) than wired connections, making them more vulnerable.