Certified Ethical Hacker Ethical Hacker Security 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which phase of ethical hacking involves actively probing a target to find open ports and live hosts?
- Reconnaissance
- Scanning (Correct answer)
- Covering tracks
- Reporting
Correct answer: Scanning
Scanning actively probes the target to discover live hosts, open ports, and services.
Question 2: A penetration tester is given no prior knowledge of the target environment. What type of test is this?
- White-box
- Gray-box
- Black-box (Correct answer)
- Crystal-box
Correct answer: Black-box
Black-box testing simulates an external attacker with zero internal knowledge of the system.
Question 3: Which tool is most commonly used for network discovery and port scanning?
- Wireshark
- Nmap (Correct answer)
- John the Ripper
- Metasploit
Correct answer: Nmap
Nmap is the standard tool for host discovery, port scanning, and service/version detection.
Question 4: What does a TCP SYN scan rely on to avoid completing the full handshake?
- Sending RST after SYN-ACK (Correct answer)
- Sending a FIN packet first
- Spoofing the MAC address
- Encrypting the payload
Correct answer: Sending RST after SYN-ACK
A SYN scan sends a RST after receiving SYN-ACK, never completing the three-way handshake (half-open scan).
Question 5: Which document legally authorizes a penetration test and defines its scope?
- NDA
- Rules of Engagement (Correct answer)
- Bug bounty policy
- Acceptable Use Policy
Correct answer: Rules of Engagement
The Rules of Engagement document defines scope, timing, and authorized actions for a test.
Question 6: What is the primary goal of the 'covering tracks' phase for a malicious attacker?
- Escalate privileges
- Hide evidence of intrusion (Correct answer)
- Map the network
- Establish persistence
Correct answer: Hide evidence of intrusion
Covering tracks involves deleting logs and hiding artifacts to evade detection.
Question 7: Which type of footprinting collects data without directly interacting with the target system?
- Active footprinting
- Passive footprinting (Correct answer)
- Vulnerability scanning
- Banner grabbing
Correct answer: Passive footprinting
Passive footprinting gathers information from public sources without touching the target directly.
Certified Ethical Hacker Ethical Hacker Security 2
Which phase of ethical hacking involves actively probing a target to find open ports and live hosts?