Question 1

Question 1: Which of the following is a social engineering attack?

Accepted Answer

Phishing is a social engineering attack where an attacker sends fraudulent emails or messages to trick the victim into giving away sensitive information or access to their system. DDoS, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting are all types of technical attacks, not social engineering.

Question 2

Question 2: What is a vulnerability assessment?

Accepted Answer

A vulnerability assessment is a process of identifying and prioritizing security weaknesses in a system. It is not a manual analysis of a system's security, a type of penetration testing, or a tool for encrypting data.

Question 3

Question 3: What is a SQL injection attack?

Accepted Answer

A SQL injection attack is an attack that exploits a vulnerability in the SQL database to execute malicious SQL statements. It is not a type of social engineering attack, a flooding attack, or an attack that uses malware to steal data.

Question 4

Question 4: What is a zero-day vulnerability?

Accepted Answer

A zero-day vulnerability is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or security community, and for which there is no patch or mitigation available. It is not a vulnerability that has been patched but still exists, a vulnerability that has been exploited in the wild, or a vulnerability that can only be exploited on the zeroth day of a new year.

Question 5

Question 5: What is a man-in-the-middle attack?

Accepted Answer

A man-in-the-middle attack is an attack that intercepts and modifies network traffic between two parties. It is not an attack that floods a network with traffic, uses malware to steal data, or impersonates a legitimate website or service.

Question 6

Question 6: What is the difference between a virus and a worm?

Accepted Answer

A virus is a self-replicating malware that needs a host program to propagate, while a worm is a self-replicating malware that does not need a host program. They both propagate through different means and have different characteristics.

Question 7

Question 7: What is a buffer overflow?

Accepted Answer

A buffer overflow is an attack that exploits a vulnerability in a program's input validation to execute arbitrary code or crash the program. It is not an attack that floods a network with traffic, uses malware to steal data, or impersonates a legitimate website or service.

Question 8

Question 8: What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?

Accepted Answer

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is an attack that floods a network or system with traffic to make it unavailable to users. It is not an attack that steals sensitive data, infects a system with malware, or exploits a vulnerability in a program's input validation.

Question 9

Question 9: What is a VPN?

Accepted Answer

A VPN (virtual private network) is a network technology that provides secure remote access to a network over the internet. It is not a type of firewall, a protocol for encrypting email messages, or a tool for analyzing network traffic.

Question 10

Question 10: What is steganography?

Accepted Answer

Steganography is a technique for hiding data within other data, such as an image file or an audio file. It is not a technique for encrypting data, a type of virus that infects system files, or a type of social engineering attack.

Question 11

Question 11: What is a rainbow table?

Accepted Answer

A rainbow table is a database of precomputed hashes for common passwords, used to speed up password cracking attacks. It is not a type of virus that infects system files, a tool for analyzing network traffic, or a type of malware that spreads through email attachments.

Question 12

Question 12: What is a firewall?

Accepted Answer

A firewall is a security mechanism that filters network traffic based on predefined rules. It is not a tool for analyzing network traffic, a type of virus that infects system files, or a virtual private network that provides secure remote access to a network.

Question 13

Question 13: What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?

Accepted Answer

Symmetric encryption uses the same key for encryption and decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses different keys. They have different characteristics and use cases. The speed, security, and usage of encryption depend on the specific algorithm and implementation.

Question 14

Question 14: What is a public key infrastructure (PKI)?

Accepted Answer

A public key infrastructure (PKI) is a system for managing digital certificates and keys used in asymmetric encryption. It is not a database of precomputed hashes for common passwords, a type of firewall that filters network traffic, or a tool for analyzing network traffic.

Question 15

Question 15: What is footprinting in the context of information gathering?

Accepted Answer

Footprinting is a technique for discovering sensitive information through online sources, such as public websites, social media, or search engines. It is not a method of scanning a network, a process of mapping out network architecture, or a way of identifying vulnerabilities.

Question 16

Question 16: What is social engineering?

Accepted Answer

Social engineering is a method of manipulating people to divulge confidential information, such as passwords, personal details, or access to systems. It is not a technique for discovering information through online sources, a type of network scanning, or a process of mapping out network architecture.

Question 17

Question 17: What is OSINT?

Accepted Answer

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is a technique for discovering sensitive information through online sources, such as public websites, social media, or search engines. It is not a type of operating system, a tool for scanning a network, or a type of social engineering attack.

Question 18

Question 18: What is a threat actor?

Accepted Answer

A threat actor is a person or group that carries out attacks on a system or network, such as a hacker, a cybercriminal, or a state-sponsored attacker. It is not a type of malware, a tool for scanning a network, or a type of firewall.

Question 19

Question 19: What is a passive reconnaissance technique?

Accepted Answer

Passive reconnaissance techniques involve listening in on network traffic to gather information, such as network topology, system configuration, or user credentials. It is not a technique that involves directly interacting with a target system, sending network packets, or impersonating a trusted entity.

Question 20

Question 20: What is a port scan?

Accepted Answer

A port scan is a technique that involves sending network packets to a target to identify open ports, protocols, and services. It is not a passive reconnaissance technique that involves listening in on network traffic, a technique that involves directly interacting with a target system, or a technique that involves impersonating a trusted entity.

Question 21

Question 21: What is the difference between active and passive reconnaissance?

Accepted Answer

Active reconnaissance involves sending network packets to a target to gather information, while passive reconnaissance involves listening in on network traffic to gather information. They have different characteristics and risks, depending on the specific technique and context.

Question 22

Question 22: What is DNS enumeration?

Accepted Answer

DNS enumeration is a technique that involves gathering information about DNS servers and domain names, such as IP addresses, MX records, or subdomains. It is not a technique that involves scanning a network, mapping out network architecture, or stealing data from a system.

Question 23

Question 23: What is a vulnerability scan?

Accepted Answer

A vulnerability scan is a technique that involves searching for known security flaws in a system or application, such as outdated software, weak passwords, or misconfigured settings. It is not a technique that involves directly interacting with a target system, scanning a network to identify open ports, or analyzing network traffic to detect anomalies.

Question 24

Question 24: What is a ping sweep?

Accepted Answer

A ping sweep is a technique that involves sending network packets to a target to check if it is online, and to identify its IP address and hostname. It is not a technique that involves scanning a network to identify open ports, analyzing network traffic to detect anomalies, or listening in on network traffic to gather information.

Question 25

Question 25: What is a web application vulnerability scanner?

Accepted Answer

A web application vulnerability scanner is a tool that searches for known security flaws in web applications, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, or file inclusion. It is not a tool that analyzes network traffic to detect anomalies, scans a network to identify open ports, or listens in on network traffic to gather information.

Question 26

Question 26: What is a web spider?

Accepted Answer

A web spider is a tool that automatically crawls web pages to gather information, such as links, content, and metadata. It is not a tool that searches for known security flaws in web applications, analyzes network traffic to detect anomalies, or scans a network to identify open ports.

Question 27

Question 27: What is a honeypot?

Accepted Answer

A honeypot is a system designed to attract and detect attacks, and to study the techniques, motives, and origins of attackers. It is not a type of social engineering attack, a tool that analyzes network traffic to detect anomalies, or a technique that involves listening in on network traffic to gather information.

Question 28

Question 28: What is the main purpose of the reconnaissance phase of system hacking?

Accepted Answer

The reconnaissance phase is all about gathering information about the target system, network, and organization to identify potential vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and entry points that can be exploited during the following phases of the attack. Impersonating users or modifying data may be part of other phases, but not the reconnaissance.

Question 29

Question 29: Which of the following is an example of a social engineering attack?

Accepted Answer

Social engineering is the art of manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing actions that may compromise security. Phishing emails are a common social engineering tactic that usually involves creating a sense of urgency, authority, or curiosity to entice the recipient to click on a link or download an attachment that contains malware or leads to a fake login page where the attacker can steal credentials.

Question 30

Question 30: What is the purpose of a password cracking tool?

Accepted Answer

Password cracking tools are used to recover or guess the passwords of user accounts by testing a large number of possible combinations of characters, dictionary words, or previously leaked passwords until the correct one is found. The tool does not deal with usernames, firewalls, or ports directly.

Question 31

Question 31: Which of the following is a type of password attack that involves trying every possible combination of characters until the correct one is found?

Accepted Answer

A brute-force attack is a password attack that involves trying every possible combination of characters until the correct one is found, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. A dictionary attack, on the other hand, uses a list of known words and phrases to guess the password. Rainbow table attacks use precomputed tables of hashed passwords to quickly find the original password, while keylogger attacks record keystrokes to capture passwords as they are entered.

Question 32

Question 32: What is the primary purpose of the footprinting phase of system hacking?

Accepted Answer

The footprinting phase involves gathering as much information as possible about the target system, network, and organization to identify potential vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and entry points that can be exploited during the following phases of the attack. The goal is not to gain unauthorized access or manipulate data, but rather to gather intelligence on the target.

Question 33

Question 33: Which of the following is an example of an insider attack?

Accepted Answer

An insider attack is a type of attack where a trusted employee or user with legitimate access to the system or data intentionally or unintentionally causes harm or compromise to the system or data. Unauthorized access to data by an employee is a common example of an insider attack, while the other options are external attacks that do not involve insiders.

Question 34

Question 34: What is the purpose of a Trojan horse?

Accepted Answer

A Trojan horse is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program or file to trick users into downloading and executing it, usually via email or social engineering. Once installed, the Trojan can provide a backdoor for attackers to gain access to the system, steal data, or carry out other malicious activities. The other options are not related to Trojans.

Question 35

Question 35: What is the purpose of privilege escalation?

Accepted Answer

Privilege escalation is the process of elevating the privileges of an attacker's user account from a lower level to a higher level, such as from a regular user to an administrator or root user, to gain access to restricted resources, execute privileged commands, or carry out other malicious activities. The other options are not related to privilege escalation.

Question 36

Question 36: What is the purpose of a rootkit?

Accepted Answer

A rootkit is a type of malware that is designed to gain and maintain privileged access to a system, often by modifying the operating system kernel or other critical components to hide its presence and evade detection by security measures. The goal of a rootkit is to elevate the privileges of an attacker's user account, enabling the attacker to carry out more advanced attacks or exfiltrate data undetected. The other options are not related to rootkits.

Question 37

Question 37: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves sending specially crafted packets to a network device to cause it to crash or reboot?

Accepted Answer

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a type of attack that aims to disrupt or disable the normal operation of a network or system by overwhelming it with traffic, requests, or commands. One common DoS attack is the ping flood, which involves sending a large number of ping packets to a target device to cause it to crash or reboot. The other options are not related to DoS attacks.

Question 38

Question 38: What is the purpose of a buffer overflow attack?

Accepted Answer

A buffer overflow attack is a type of attack that exploits a programming error in a software application or operating system to write more data to a buffer than it can hold, causing the excess data to overflow into adjacent memory areas and potentially overwrite critical data or code. The attacker can use this to execute arbitrary code or crash the system. The other options are not related to buffer overflow attacks.

Question 39

Question 39: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves intercepting and modifying communication between two parties without their knowledge or consent?

Accepted Answer

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a type of attack that involves intercepting and modifying communication between two parties without their knowledge or consent, often by impersonating one of the parties or exploiting weaknesses in the communication protocol. This allows the attacker to eavesdrop on the conversation, steal credentials or sensitive information, or carry out other malicious activities. The other options are not related to MITM attacks.

Question 40

Question 40: What is the purpose of a port scan?

Accepted Answer

A port scan is a technique used to identify potential vulnerabilities in a network by probing for open ports and services on target devices. Attackers use this information to identify potential entry points into the network and plan subsequent attacks. Port scanning does not involve gaining unauthorized access to the network, modifying data, or impersonating users.

Question 41

Question 41: Which of the following is an example of a network sniffing attack?

Accepted Answer

Network sniffing is the practice of intercepting and analyzing network traffic to capture sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or confidential documents. Attackers can use various tools to capture and decode unencrypted traffic, such as Wireshark or tcpdump. Brute-force attacks, phishing emails, and SQL injection attacks are not related to network sniffing.

Question 42

Question 42: What is the purpose of a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?

Accepted Answer

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a type of attack that aims to overwhelm a network or server with traffic, requests, or commands to disrupt its normal operation and prevent legitimate users from accessing its resources or services. DoS attacks can be carried out using various techniques, such as ping floods, SYN floods, or HTTP floods. The other options are not related to DoS attacks.

Question 43

Question 43: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves sending a large number of ping packets to a network device to cause it to crash or reboot?

Accepted Answer

A ping flood is a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attack that involves sending a large number of ping packets to a network device to cause it to crash or reboot. Ping floods exploit the ICMP protocol, which is used to send echo requests and responses between devices. SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks are not related to ping floods.

Question 44

Question 44: What is the purpose of a VPN?

Accepted Answer

A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure way to encrypt network traffic between two hosts over a public network, such as the Internet. VPNs use various encryption protocols, such as IPSec or SSL, to create a secure tunnel for data transmission and protect against eavesdropping or interception by unauthorized parties. The other options are not related to VPNs.

Question 45

Question 45: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves exploiting a weakness in a wireless network to intercept or modify network traffic?

Accepted Answer

A wireless network attack is a type of attack that targets wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, by exploiting weaknesses in the security protocols or configurations to intercept or modify network traffic. Wireless attacks can include eavesdropping, injection, or denial-of-service techniques, among others. SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting attacks, and denial-of-service attacks are not related to wireless attacks.

Question 46

Question 46: What is the purpose of a honeypot?

Accepted Answer

A honeypot is a decoy system or network that is designed to look like a legitimate target to lure attackers into a controlled environment where their behavior can be monitored, analyzed, and mitigated. Honeypots can be used to gather threat intelligence, study attacker tactics and techniques, and identify and block new attack vectors. The other options are not related to honeypots.

Question 47

Question 47: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves exploiting a vulnerability in a web application to inject malicious code and steal sensitive data?

Accepted Answer

A SQL injection attack is a type of attack that targets web applications by exploiting vulnerabilities in the input validation and handling mechanisms to inject malicious SQL code into backend databases and steal sensitive data or execute arbitrary commands. SQL injection attacks are a common and serious threat to web application security. Cross-site scripting attacks, denial-of-service attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks are not related to SQL injection attacks.

Question 48

Question 48: What is the purpose of a session hijacking attack?

Accepted Answer

Session hijacking is a type of attack that involves intercepting and taking control of a legitimate user's session on a system or network, often by stealing their session cookies or other authentication credentials. The attacker can then use the hijacked session to access sensitive information, modify data, or carry out other malicious activities as if they were the legitimate user. The other options are not related to session hijacking.

Question 49

Question 49: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves exploiting a vulnerability in a web browser or its plugins to execute malicious code and compromise a system?

Accepted Answer

A drive-by download attack is a type of attack that targets web browsers and their plugins by exploiting vulnerabilities in their code to download and execute malicious code on a system without the user's knowledge or consent. Drive-by downloads can be triggered by visiting a compromised website or clicking on a malicious link or advertisement. Cross-site scripting attacks, denial-of-service attacks, and SQL injection attacks are not related to drive-by downloads.

Question 50

Question 50: What is the purpose of a password cracking attack?

Accepted Answer

Password cracking is a technique used to guess or crack the password of a user account on a system or network to gain unauthorized access. Password cracking attacks can use various methods, such as brute-force attacks, dictionary attacks, or rainbow table attacks, to guess or crack passwords based on known patterns, common words, or precomputed hash values. The other options are not related to password cracking attacks.

Question 51

Question 51: What is the purpose of a phishing attack?

Accepted Answer

Phishing is a type of attack that involves tricking users into disclosing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, by impersonating a legitimate entity, such as a bank, a social media site, or a government agency. Phishing attacks can be carried out using various techniques, such as emails, text messages, or phone calls, and can be used to steal credentials, install malware, or carry out other malicious activities. The other options are not related to phishing attacks.

Question 52

Question 52: Which of the following is a type of attack that involves exploiting a weakness in a system or application to escalate privileges and gain administrative access?

Accepted Answer

Privilege escalation is a type of attack that involves exploiting a weakness in a system or application to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the target device or network. Privilege escalation attacks can be carried out using various techniques, such as exploiting vulnerabilities in the operating system, the application software, or the configuration settings. Brute-force attacks, buffer overflow attacks, and phishing attacks are not related to privilege escalation attacks.

Question 53

Question 53: What is a SQL injection attack?

Accepted Answer

SQL injection is a type of attack that targets web applications by exploiting vulnerabilities in the input validation and handling mechanisms to inject malicious SQL code into backend databases and steal sensitive data or execute arbitrary commands. SQL injection attacks are a common and serious threat to web application security, and can be prevented by using parameterized queries, input validation, and output encoding. The other options are not related to SQL injection attacks.

Question 54

Question 54: What is a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack?

Accepted Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of attack that targets web applications by injecting malicious code into web pages to steal sensitive data or execute arbitrary commands in the context of the user's browser. XSS attacks can be prevented by using input validation, output encoding, and proper sanitization of user inputs. The other options are not related to XSS attacks.

Question 55

Question 55: What is a session fixation attack?

Accepted Answer

Session fixation is a type of attack that targets web applications by forcing a user to use a predetermined session ID to gain access to a web application. This type of attack can be used to hijack a user's session or bypass authentication mechanisms, and can be prevented by using secure session management practices, such as generating random session IDs and using session cookies. The other options are not related to session fixation attacks.

Question 56

Question 56: What is a buffer overflow attack?

Accepted Answer

Buffer overflow is a type of attack that targets software or hardware components by overflowing a buffer with more data than it can hold, causing it to overwrite adjacent memory and execute arbitrary code. Buffer overflow attacks can be prevented by using input validation, output encoding, and proper memory management practices. The other options are not related to buffer overflow attacks.

Question 57

Question 57: What is a directory traversal attack?

Accepted Answer

Directory traversal is a type of attack that targets web applications by manipulating file path parameters to access files or directories outside the intended scope. This type of attack can be used to steal sensitive information, modify data, or execute arbitrary code, and can be prevented by using input validation and proper file permission settings. The other options are not related to directory traversal attacks.

Question 58

Question 58: What is a server-side request forgery (SSRF) attack?

Accepted Answer

Server-side request forgery (SSRF) is a type of attack that targets web applications by tricking the server into sending a request to a third-party site with the attacker's chosen URL and then capturing and using the response. This type of attack can be used to steal sensitive information, access internal systems, or perform other malicious activities, and can be prevented by using input validation, output encoding, and proper access control settings. The other options are not related to SSRF attacks.

Question 59

Question 59: What is the name of the wireless encryption protocol that was widely used before WPA2?

Accepted Answer

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the name of the wireless encryption protocol that was widely used before WPA2. WEP is known to be weak and easily crackable, and is no longer considered a secure method for wireless encryption. The other options are not the names of wireless encryption protocols that were widely used before WPA2.

Question 60

Question 60: What is the name of the wireless encryption protocol that is currently considered the most secure?

Accepted Answer

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the name of the wireless encryption protocol that is currently considered the most secure. AES uses a strong encryption algorithm that is resistant to attacks and is the recommended encryption method for wireless networks. The other options are not the names of wireless encryption protocols that are considered the most secure.

Question 61

Question 61: What is the name of the attack that targets the 4-way handshake of WPA/WPA2 to recover the pre-shared key?

Accepted Answer

Key reinstallation attack (KRACK) is the name of the attack that targets the 4-way handshake of WPA/WPA2 to recover the pre-shared key. KRACK takes advantage of a vulnerability in the 4-way handshake process to force the reuse of an already-used key, allowing the attacker to intercept and manipulate wireless traffic. The other options are not related to KRACK attacks.

Question 62

Question 62: What is the name of the attack that targets wireless networks by creating a fake wireless access point to intercept wireless traffic?

Accepted Answer

Evil twin attack is the name of the attack that targets wireless networks by creating a fake wireless access point to intercept wireless traffic. The attacker creates a replica of a legitimate wireless network, and tricks users into connecting to the fake network, allowing the attacker to intercept and manipulate wireless traffic. The other options are not related to evil twin attacks.

Question 63

Question 63: What is the name of the attack that targets the process of connecting to a wireless network by continuously sending deauthentication packets to the target's wireless client?

Accepted Answer

Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is the name of the attack that targets the process of connecting to a wireless network by continuously sending deauthentication packets to the target's wireless client. The attacker can use this attack to prevent the target from connecting to the network or to force the target to connect to a fake network controlled by the attacker. The other options are not related to DoS attacks.

Question 64

Question 64: What is the name of the attack that targets the wireless encryption keys by capturing the initial handshake between a wireless client and an access point?

Accepted Answer

Dictionary attack is the name of the attack that targets the wireless encryption keys by capturing the initial handshake between a wireless client and an access point. The attacker captures the handshake and then uses a dictionary file containing common passwords to try to crack the encryption key. The other options are not related to dictionary attacks.

CEH Practice Test - SimeonOnSecurity