EC-COUNCIL EC-COUNCIL Certifications 312-50V12 Questions & Answers

• Question 11:

  You are the lead cybersecurity analyst at a multinational corporation that uses a hybrid encryption system to secure inter-departmental communications. The system uses RSA encryption for key exchange and AES for data encryption, taking advantage of the strengths of both asymmetric and symmetric encryption. Each RSA key pair has a size of 'n' bits, with larger keys providing more security at the cost of slower performance. The time complexity of generating an RSA key pair is O(n^2), and AES encryption has a time complexity of O(n). An attacker has developed a quantum algorithm with time complexity O((log n)^2) to crack RSA encryption. Given 'n=4000' and variable 'AES key size', which scenario is likely to provide the best balance of security and performance?

  A. Data encryption with 3DES using a 168-bit key: Offers high security but slower performance due to 3DES's inherent inefficiencies.

  B. Data encryption with Blowfish using a 448-bit key: Offers high security but potential compatibility issues due to Blowfish's less widespread use.

  C. Data encryption with AES-128: Provides moderate security and fast encryption, offering a balance between the two.

  D. Data encryption with AES-256: Provides high security with better performance than 3DES, but not as fast as other AES key sizes.

  Correct Answer: C

  Data encryption with AES-128 is likely to provide the best balance of security and performance in this scenario. This option works as follows: AES-128 is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 128-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. AES-128 is one of the most widely used and trusted encryption algorithms, and it is considered secure against classical and quantum attacks, as long as the key is not compromised. AES-128 has a time complexity of O(n), which means that the encryption and decryption time is proportional to the size of the data. AES-128 is also fast and efficient, as it can process 16 bytes of data in each round, and it requires only 10 rounds to complete the encryption or decryption12. RSA-4000 is an asymmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 4000-bit key pair to encrypt and decrypt data. RSA-4000 is used for key exchange, which means that it is used to securely share the AES-128 key between the sender and the receiver. RSA-4000 has a time complexity of O(n*2), which means that the key generation, encryption, and decryption time is proportional to the square of the size of the key. RSA-4000 is also slow and resource-intensive, as it involves large number arithmetic and modular exponentiation operations. RSA-4000 is considered secure against classical attacks, but it is vulnerable to quantum attacks, especially if the attacker has access to a quantum computer with sufficient resources to run Shor's algorithm, which can factor large numbers in polynomial time34. The attacker's quantum algorithm has a time complexity of O((log n) *2), which means that the cracking time is proportional to the square of the logarithm of the size of the key. This implies that the attacker can crack RSA-4000 much faster than a classical computer, as the logarithm function grows much slower than the linear or quadratic function. For example, if a classical computer takes 10^12 years to crack RSA-4000, a quantum computer with the attacker's algorithm could do it in about 10^4 years, which is still a long time, but not impossible5. Therefore, data encryption with AES-128 is likely to provide the best balance of security and performance in this scenario, because: AES-128 is secure and fast, and it can encrypt large amounts of data efficiently. RSA-4000 is slow and vulnerable, but it is only used for key exchange, which involves a small amount of data and a one-time operation. The attacker's quantum algorithm is powerful, but it is not practical, as it requires a quantum computer with a large number of qubits and a long coherence time, which are not available yet. The other options are not as balanced as option C for the following reasons:

  A. Data encryption with 3DES using a 168-bit key: This option offers high security but slower performance due to 3DES's inherent inefficiencies. 3DES is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 168-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. 3DES is a variant of DES, which is an older and weaker encryption algorithm that uses a 56-bit key. 3DES applies DES three times with different keys to increase the security, but this also increases the complexity and reduces the speed. 3DES has a time complexity of O(n), but it is much slower than AES, as it can process only 8 bytes of data in each round, and it requires 48 rounds to complete the encryption or decryption. 3DES is considered secure against classical and quantum attacks, but it is not recommended for new applications, as it is outdated and inefficient.

  B. Data encryption with Blowfish using a 448-bit key: This option offers high security but potential compatibility issues due to Blowfish's less widespread use. Blowfish is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a variable key size, up to 448 bits, to encrypt and decrypt data. Blowfish is fast and secure, and it has a time complexity of O(n), as it can process 8 bytes of data in each round, and it requires 16 rounds to complete the encryption or decryption. Blowfish is considered secure against classical and quantum attacks, but it is not as popular or standardized as AES, and it may have compatibility issues with some applications or platforms89. D. Data encryption with AES-256: This option provides high security with better performance than 3DES, but not as fast as other AES key sizes. AES-256 is a symmetric encryption algorithm that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. AES-256 is a variant of AES, which is the most widely used and trusted encryption algorithm. AES-256 has a time complexity of O(n), and it can process 16 bytes of data in each round, but it requires 14 rounds to complete the encryption or decryption, which is more than AES-128 or AES-192. AES-256 is considered secure against classical and quantum attacks, but it is not as fast as other AES key sizes, and it may not be necessary for most applications, as AES- 128 or AES-192 are already secure enough. References:

  1: Advanced Encryption Standard - Wikipedia

  2: AES Encryption: What It Is and How It Works | Kaspersky

  3: RSA (cryptosystem) - Wikipedia

  4: RSA Encryption: What It Is and How It Works | Kaspersky

  5: Shor's algorithm - Wikipedia

  6: Triple DES - Wikipedia

  7: 3DES Encryption: What It Is and How It Works | Kaspersky

  8: Blowfish (cipher) - Wikipedia

  9: Blowfish Encryption: What It Is and How It Works | Kaspersky

• Question 12:

  A certified ethical hacker is conducting a Whois footprinting activity on a specific domain. The individual is leveraging various tools such as Batch IP Converter and Whois Analyzer Pro to retrieve vital details but is unable to gather complete Whois information from the registrar for a particular set of data. As the hacker, what might be the probable data model being utilized by the domain's registrar for storing and looking up Whois information?

  A. Thick Whois model with a malfunctioning server

  B. Thick Whois model working correctly

  C. Thin Whois model with a malfunctioning server

  D. Thin Whois model working correctly

  Correct Answer: D

  A thin Whois model is a type of data model that is used by some domain registrars for storing and looking up Whois information. In a thin Whois model, the registrar only stores the basic information about the domain, such as the domain name, the registrar name, the name servers, and the registration and expiration dates. The rest of the information, such as the contact details of the domain owner, the administrative contact, and the technical contact, is stored by the registry that manages the top-level domain (TLD) of the domain. For example, the registry for .com and .net domains is Verisign, and the registry for .org domains is Public Interest Registry. When a Whois lookup is performed on a domain that uses a thin Whois model, the registrar's Whois server only returns the basic information and refers the query to the registry's Whois server for the complete information. As a hacker, if you are unable to gather complete Whois information from the registrar for a particular set of data, it might be because the domain's registrar is using a thin Whois model and the registry's Whois server is not responding or providing the information. This could be due to various reasons, such as network issues, server errors, rate limits, privacy policies, or legal restrictions. Therefore, the probable data model being utilized by the domain's registrar for storing and looking up Whois information is a thin Whois model working correctly. References: Differences Between Thin WHOIS vs Thick WHOIS ?OpenSRS Helpand; Support

• Question 13:

  You are a cybersecurity consultant for a healthcare organization that utilizes Internet of Medical Things (loMT) devices, such as connected insulin pumps and heart rate monitors, to provide improved patientcare. Recently, the organization has been targeted by ransomware attacks. While the IT infrastructure was unaffected due to robust security measures, they are worried that the loMT devices could be potential entry points for future attacks. What would be your main recommendation to protect these devices from such threats?

  A. Implement multi-factor authentication for all loMT devices.

  B. Disable all wireless connectivity on loMT devices.

  C. Use network segmentation to isolate loMT devices from the main network.

  D. Regularly change the IP addresses of all loMT devices.

  Correct Answer: C

  Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices are internet-connected medical devices that can collect, transfer, and analyze data over a network. They can provide improved patient care and comfort, but they also pose security challenges and risks, as they can be targeted by cyberattacks, such as ransomware, that can compromise their functionality, integrity, or confidentiality. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim's data or system and demands a ransom for its decryption or restoration. Ransomware attacks can cause serious harm to healthcare organizations, as they can disrupt their operations, endanger their patients, and damage their reputation. To protect IoMT devices from ransomware attacks, the main recommendation is to use network segmentation to isolate IoMT devices from the main network. Network segmentation is a technique that divides a network into smaller subnetworks, each with its own security policies and controls. Network segmentation can prevent or limit the spread of ransomware from one subnetwork to another, as it restricts the communication and access between them. Network segmentation can also improve the performance, visibility, and manageability of the network, as it reduces the network congestion, complexity, and noise. The other options are not as effective or feasible as network segmentation. Implementing multi-factor authentication for all IoMT devices may not be possible or practical, as some IoMT devices may not support or require user authentication, such as sensors or monitors. Disabling all wireless connectivity on IoMT devices may not be desirable or realistic, as some IoMT devices rely on wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee, to function or transmit data. Regularly changing the IP addresses of all IoMT devices may not prevent or deter ransomware attacks, as ransomware can target devices based on other factors, such as their domain names, MAC addresses, or vulnerabilities. References: What Is Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Security? 5 Steps to Secure Internet of Medical Things Devices Ransomware in Healthcare: How to Protect Your Organization [Network Segmentation: Definition, Benefits, and Best Practices]

• Question 14:

  A penetration tester is performing an enumeration on a client's network. The tester has acquired permission to perform enumeration activities. They have identified a remote inter- process communication (IPC) share and are trying to collect more information about it. The tester decides to use a common enumeration technique to collect the desired data. Which of the following techniques would be most appropriate for this scenario?

  A. Brute force Active Directory

  B. Probe the IPC share by attempting to brute force admin credentials

  C. Extract usernames using email IDs

  D. Conduct a DNS zone transfer

  Correct Answer: B

  Probing the IPC share by attempting to brute force admin credentials is the most appropriate technique for this scenario, because it can reveal valuable information about the target system, such as its operating system, services, users, groups, and shares. An IPC share is a special share that allows processes to communicate with each other over the network using named pipes. An IPC share can be accessed anonymously or with valid credentials, depending on the security configuration of the target system. A brute force attack is a method of trying different combinations of usernames and passwords until a valid pair is found. By using a brute force attack, the tester can try to access the IPC share with admin credentials, which can grant them more privileges and access to more resources on the target system. The other options are less suitable or effective techniques for this scenario. Brute forcing Active Directory may not be relevant or feasible, as the target system may not be part of a domain or may have strong password policies. Extracting usernames using email IDs may not provide enough information or access to the target system, as email IDs may not match the usernames or passwords. Conducting a DNS zone transfer may not be possible or useful, as the target system may not be a DNS server or may have restricted zone transfers. A DNS zone transfer is a method of obtaining information about the domain names and IP addresses of the hosts in a network by querying a DNS server. References: Inter-process communication - Wikipedia IPC$ share and null session behavior - Windows Server Brute Force Attack: Definition, Examples, and Prevention DNS Zone Transfer: Definition, Types, and Examples

• Question 15:

  You are a cybersecurlty consultant for a smart city project. The project involves deploying a vast network of loT devices for public utilities like traffic control, water supply, and power grid management The city administration is concerned about the possibility of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack crippling these critical services. They have asked you for advice on how to prevent such an attack. What would be your primary recommendation?

  A. Implement regular firmware updates for all loT devices.

  B. A Deploy network intrusion detection systems (IDS) across the loT network.

  C. Establish strong, unique passwords for each loT device.

  D. Implement IP address whitelisting for all loT devices.

  Correct Answer: A

  Implementing regular firmware updates for all IoT devices is the primary recommendation to prevent DDoS attacks on the smart city project. Firmware updates can fix security vulnerabilities, patch bugs, and improve performance of the IoT devices, making them less susceptible to malware infections and botnet recruitment12. Firmware updates can also enable new security features, such as encryption, authentication, and firewall, that can protect the IoT devices from unauthorized access and data theft3. Firmware updates should be done automatically or remotely, without requiring user intervention, to ensure timely and consistent security across the IoT network4. The other options are not as effective or feasible as firmware updates for the following reasons:

  B. Deploying network intrusion detection systems (IDS) across the IoT network can help detect and alert DDoS attacks, but not prevent them. IDS can monitor network traffic and identify malicious patterns, such as high volume, spoofed IP addresses, or unusual protocols, that indicate a DDoS attack5. However, IDS cannot block or mitigate the attack, and may even be overwhelmed by the flood of traffic, resulting in false positives or missed alerts. Moreover, deploying IDS across a vast network of IoT devices can be costly, complex, and resource-intensive, as it requires dedicated hardware, software, and personnel. C. Establishing strong, unique passwords for each IoT device can prevent unauthorized access and brute-force attacks, but not DDoS attacks. Passwords can protect the IoT devices from being compromised by hackers who try to guess or crack the default or weak credentials. However, passwords cannot prevent DDoS attacks that exploit known or unknown vulnerabilities in the IoT devices, such as buffer overflows, command injections, or protocol flaws. Moreover, establishing and managing strong, unique passwords for each IoT device can be challenging and impractical, as it requires user awareness, memory, and effort. D. Implementing IP address whitelisting for all IoT devices can restrict network access and communication to trusted sources, but not DDoS attacks. IP address whitelisting can filter out unwanted or malicious traffic by allowing only the predefined IP addresses to connect to the IoT devices. However, IP address whitelisting cannot prevent DDoS attacks that use spoofed or legitimate IP addresses, such as reflection or amplification attacks, that bypass the whitelisting rules. Moreover, implementing IP address whitelisting for all IoT devices can be difficult and risky, as it requires constant updating, testing, and monitoring of the whitelist, and may block legitimate or emergency traffic by mistake. References:

  1: How to proactively protect IoT devices from DDoS attacks - Synopsys

  2: IoT and DDoS: Cyberattacks on the Rise | A10 Networks

  3: Detection and Prevention of DDoS Attacks on the IoT - MDPI

  4: How to Secure IoT Devices: 5 Best Practices | IoT For All

  5: Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) Part 1 - Network Security | Coursera : DDoS Attacks: Detection and Mitigation - Cisco

  6: The Challenges of IoT Security - Infosec Resources : IoT Security: How to Protect Connected Devices and the IoT Ecosystem | Kaspersky

  7: IoT Security: Common Vulnerabilities and Attacks | IoT For All : The Password Problem: How to Use Passwords Effectively in 2021 | Dashlane Blog

  8: What is IP Whitelisting? | Cloudflare

  9: DDoS Attacks: Types, Techniques, and Protection | Cloudflare : IP Whitelisting: Pros and Cons | Imperva

• Question 16:

  Being a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), a company has brought you on board to evaluate the safety measures in place for their network system. The company uses a network time protocol server in the demilitarized zone. During your

  enumeration, you decide to run a ntptrace command. Given the syntax:

  ntptrace [-n] [-m maxhosts] [servername/IP_address], which command usage would best serve your objective to find where the NTP server obtains the time from and to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network?

  A. ntptrace -m 5 192.168.1.1

  B. tptrace 192.1681.

  C. ntptrace -n localhost

  D. ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1

  Correct Answer: D

  The command usage that would best serve your objective to find where the NTP server obtains the time from and to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network is ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1. This command usage works as follows: ntptrace is a tool that determines where a given NTP server gets its time from, and follows the chain of NTP servers back to their master time source. For example, a stratum 0 server, which is a device that directly obtains the time from a physical source, such as an atomic clock or a GPS receiver. -n is a flag that outputs host IP addresses instead of host names. This can be useful if the host names are not resolvable or if the IP addresses are more informative. -m 5 is a flag that specifies the maximum number of hosts to be traced. This can be useful to limit the output and avoid tracing irrelevant or unreachable hosts1. 192.168.1.1 is the IP address of the NTP server in the demilitarized zone, which is the starting point of the trace. This can be useful to find out the source and the path of the time synchronization for the network system. By using this command usage, the output will show the IP addresses, the stratum, the offset, the sync distance, and the reference ID of each NTP server in the chain, up to five hosts. This can provide valuable information about the accuracy, the reliability, and the security of the time service for the network system1. The other options are not as suitable as option D for the following reasons:

  A. ntptrace -m 5 192.168.1.1: This option is similar to option D, but it does not use the -n flag, which means that it will output host names instead of IP addresses. This can be less useful if the host names are not resolvable or if the IP addresses are more informative.

  B. tptrace 192.1681.: This option is incorrect because it uses a wrong tool name and a wrong IP address. tptrace is not a valid tool name, and 192.1681. is not a valid IP address. The correct tool name is ntptrace, and the correct IP address is

  192.168.1.11.

  C. ntptrace -n localhost: This option is not effective because it uses localhost as the starting point of the trace, which means that it will only show the local host's time source. This can be useful to check the local host's time configuration, but it

  does not help to find out the time source and the trace of the NTP server in the demilitarized zone, which is the objective of this scenario.

  References:

  1: ntptrace - trace a chain of NTP servers back to the primary source

• Question 17:

  An IT company has just implemented new security controls to their network and system setup. As a Certified Ethical Hacker, your responsibility is to assess the possible vulnerabilities in the new setup. You are given the information that the network and system are adequately patched with the latest updates, and all employees have gone through recent cybersecurity awareness training. Considering the potential vulnerability sources, what is the best initial approach to vulnerability assessment?

  A. Checking for hardware and software misconfigurations to identify any possible loopholes

  B. Evaluating the network for inherent technology weaknesses prone to specific types of attacks

  C. Investigating if any ex-employees still have access to the company's system and data

  D. Conducting social engineering tests to check if employees can be tricked into revealing sensitive information

  Correct Answer: A

  A vulnerability assessment is a systematic review of security weaknesses in an information system. It evaluates if the system is susceptible to any known vulnerabilities, assigns severity levels to those vulnerabilities, and recommends

  remediation or mitigation, if and whenever needed1. A vulnerability assessment can be performed using various tools and techniques, depending on the scope and objectives of the assessment. Considering the potential vulnerability sources,

  the best initial approach to vulnerability assessment is to check for hardware and software misconfigurations to identify any possible loopholes. Hardware and software misconfigurations are common sources of vulnerabilities that can expose

  the system to unauthorized access, data breaches, or service disruptions. Hardware and software misconfigurations can include:

  Insecure default settings, such as weak passwords, open ports, unnecessary services, or verbose error messages.

  Improper access control policies, such as granting excessive privileges, allowing anonymous access, or failing to revoke access for terminated users. Lack of encryption or authentication mechanisms, such as using plain text protocols,

  storing sensitive data in clear text, or transmitting data without verifying the identity of the sender or receiver.

  Outdated or incompatible software versions, such as using unsupported or deprecated software, failing to apply security patches, or having software conflicts or dependencies. Checking for hardware and software misconfigurations can help

  identify any possible loopholes that could be exploited by attackers to compromise the system or the data. Checking for hardware and software misconfigurations can be done using various tools, such as:

  Configuration management tools, such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef, that can automate the deployment and maintenance of consistent and secure configurations across the system. Configuration auditing tools, such as Nipper, Lynis, or

  OpenSCAP, that can scan the system for deviations from the desired or expected configurations and report any issues or vulnerabilities. Configuration testing tools, such as Inspec, Serverspec, or Testinfra, that can verify the system's

  compliance with the specified configuration rules and standards. Therefore, checking for hardware and software misconfigurations is the best initial approach to vulnerability assessment, as it can help identify and eliminate any possible

  loopholes that could pose a security risk to the system or the data.

  References:

  Vulnerability Assessment Principles | Tenable?

  Configuration Management Tools: A Complete Guide - Guru99 Top 10 Configuration Auditing Tools - Infosec Resources [Configuration Testing Tools: A Complete Guide - Guru99]

• Question 18:

  Given the complexities of an organization's network infrastructure, a threat actor has exploited an unidentified vulnerability, leading to a major data breach. As a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), you are tasked with enhancing the organization's security stance. To ensure a comprehensive security defense, you recommend a certain security strategy. Which of the following best represents the strategy you would likely suggest and why?

  A. Develop an in-depth Risk Management process, involving identification, assessment, treatment, tracking, and review of risks to control the potential effects on the organization.

  B. Establish a Defense-in-Depth strategy, incorporating multiple layers of security measures to increase the complexity and decrease the likelihood of a successful attack.

  C. Adopt a Continual/Adaptive Security Strategy involving ongoing prediction, prevention, detection, and response actions to ensure comprehensive computer network defense.

  D. Implement an Information Assurance (IA) policy focusing on ensuring the integrity, availability, confidentiality, and authenticity of information systems.

  Correct Answer: C

  The security strategy that you would likely suggest is to adopt a Continual/Adaptive Security Strategy involving ongoing prediction, prevention, detection, and response actions to ensure comprehensive computer network defense. This strategy is based on the concept of continuous monitoring and improvement of the security posture of an organization, using a feedback loop that integrates various security activities and technologies. A Continual/Adaptive Security Strategy aims to proactively identify and mitigate emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and risks, as well as to respond effectively and efficiently to security incidents and breaches. A Continual/Adaptive Security Strategy can help enhance the organization's security stance by providing the following benefits12: It can reduce the attack surface and the exposure time of the organization's network infrastructure, by applying timely patches, updates, and configurations, as well as by implementing security controls and policies. It can increase the visibility and awareness of the organization's network activity and behavior, by collecting, analyzing, and correlating data from various sources, such as logs, sensors, alerts, and reports. It can improve the detection and prevention capabilities of the organization, by using advanced tools and techniques, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, threat intelligence, and behavioral analytics, to identify and block malicious or anomalous patterns and indicators. It can enhance the response and recovery processes of the organization, by using automated and orchestrated actions, such as isolation, quarantine, remediation, and restoration, to contain and resolve security incidents and breaches, as well as by conducting lessons learned and root cause analysis to prevent recurrence. The other options are not as appropriate as option C for the following reasons:

  A. Develop an in-depth Risk Management process, involving identification, assessment, treatment, tracking, and review of risks to control the potential effects on the organization: This option is not sufficient because risk management is only one aspect of a comprehensive security strategy, and it does not address the dynamic and evolving nature of cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Risk management is a process of identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and treating the risks that may affect the organization's objectives and operations, as well as monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the risk treatment measures3. Risk management can help the organization prioritize and allocate resources for security, but it cannot guarantee the prevention or detection of security incidents and breaches, nor the response and recovery from them. B. Establish a Defense-in-Depth strategy, incorporating multiple layers of security measures to increase the complexity and decrease the likelihood of a successful attack: This option is not optimal because defense-in-depth is a traditional and static approach to security, and it may not be able to cope with the sophisticated and persistent attacks that exploit unknown or zero-day vulnerabilities. Defense-in- depth is a strategy of implementing multiple and diverse security controls and mechanisms at different layers of the organization's network infrastructure, such as perimeter, network, endpoint, application, and data, to provide redundancy and resilience against attacks4. Defense-in-depth can help the organization protect its assets and systems from unauthorized access or damage, but it cannot ensure the timely detection and response to security incidents and breaches, nor the continuous improvement of the security posture.

  D. Implement an Information Assurance (IA) policy focusing on ensuring the integrity, availability, confidentiality, and authenticity of information systems: This option is not comprehensive because information assurance is a subset of cybersecurity, and it does not cover all the aspects of a holistic security strategy. Information assurance is a discipline of managing the risks associated with the use, processing, storage, and transmission of information and data, and ensuring the protection of the information and data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction5. Information assurance can help the organization safeguard its information and data from compromise or loss, but it does not address the prevention, detection, and response to security incidents and breaches, nor the adaptation and innovation of the security technologies and processes. References:

  1: Continual/Adaptive Security Strategy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

  2: Continual Adaptive Security: A New Approach to Cybersecurity | SecurityWeek.Com

  3: Risk Management - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

  4: Defense in Depth - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

  5: Information Assurance - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

• Question 19:

  While performing a security audit of a web application, an ethical hacker discovers a potential vulnerability. The application responds to logically incorrect queries with detailed error messages that divulge the underlying database's structure. The ethical hacker decides to exploit this vulnerability further. Which type of SQL Injection attack is the ethical hacker likely to use?

  A. UNION SQL Injection

  B. Blind/inferential SQL Injection

  C. In-band SQL Injection

  D. Error-based SOL Injection

  Correct Answer: D

  Error-based SQL Injection is a type of in-band SQL Injection attack that relies on error messages thrown by the database server to obtain information about the structure of the database. In some cases, error-based SQL injection alone is

  enough for an attacker to enumerate an entire database.

  The ethical hacker is likely to use this type of SQL Injection attack because the application responds to logically incorrect queries with detailed error messages that divulge the underlying database's structure. This means that the attacker can

  craft malicious SQL queries that trigger errors and reveal information such as table names, column names, data types, etc. The attacker can then use this information to construct more complex queries that extract data from the database.

  For example, if the application uses the following query to display the username of a user based on the user ID:

  SELECT username FROM users WHERE id = '$id'

  The attacker can inject a single quote at the end of the user ID parameter to cause a syntax error:

  SELECT username FROM users WHERE id = '1'

  The application might display an error message like this:

  You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''1'' at line 1 This error message reveals that the database server is MySQL and that the user ID

  parameter is enclosed in single quotes. The attacker can then use other techniques such as UNION, subqueries, or conditional statements to manipulate the query and retrieve data from other tables or columns.

  References:

  [CEHv12 Module 05: Sniffing]

  Types of SQL Injection (SQLi) - GeeksforGeeks

  Types of SQL Injection? - Acunetix

• Question 20:

  An ethical hacker is hired to conduct a comprehensive network scan of a large organization that strongly suspects potential intrusions into their internal systems. The hacker decides to employ a combination of scanning tools to obtain a

  detailed understanding of the network.

  Which sequence of actions would provide the most comprehensive information about the network's status?

  A. Initiate with Nmap for a ping sweep, then use Metasploit to scan for open ports and services, and finally use Hping3 to perform remote OS fingerprinting

  B. Use Hping3 for an ICMP ping scan on the entire subnet, then use Nmap for a SYN scan on identified active hosts, and finally use Metasploit to exploit identified vulnerabilities

  C. Start with Hping3 for a UDP scan on random ports, then use Nmap for a version detection scan, and finally use Metasploit to exploit detected vulnerabilities

  D. Begin with NetScanTools Pro for a general network scan, then use Nmap for OS detection and version detection, and finally perform an SYN flooding with Hping3

  Correct Answer: B

  The sequence of actions that would provide the most comprehensive information about the network's status is to use Hping3 for an ICMP ping scan on the entire subnet, then use Nmap for a SYN scan on identified active hosts, and finally use Metasploit to exploit identified vulnerabilities. This sequence of actions works as follows: Use Hping3 for an ICMP ping scan on the entire subnet: This action is used to discover the active hosts on the network by sending ICMP echo request packets to each possible IP address on the subnet and waiting for ICMP echo reply packets from the hosts. Hping3 is a command-line tool that can craft and send custom packets, such as TCP, UDP, or ICMP, and analyze the responses. By using Hping3 for an ICMP ping scan, the hacker can quickly and efficiently identify the live hosts on the network, as well as their response times and packet loss rates. Use Nmap for a SYN scan on identified active hosts: This action is used to scan the open ports and services on the active hosts by sending TCP SYN packets to a range of ports and analyzing the TCP responses. Nmap is a popular and powerful tool that can perform various types of network scans, such as port scanning, service detection, OS detection, and vulnerability scanning. By using Nmap for a SYN scan, the hacker can determine the state of the ports on the active hosts, such as open, closed, filtered, or unfiltered, as well as the services and protocols running on them. A SYN scan is also known as a stealth scan, as it does not complete the TCP three-way handshake and thus avoids logging on the target system. Use Metasploit to exploit identified vulnerabilities: This action is used to exploit the vulnerabilities on the active hosts by using pre-built or custom modules that leverage the open ports and services. Metasploit is a framework that contains a collection of tools and modules for penetration testing and exploitation. By using Metasploit, the hacker can launch various attacks on the active hosts, such as remote code execution, privilege escalation, or backdoor installation, and gain access to the target system or data. Metasploit can also be used to perform post- exploitation tasks, such as gathering information, maintaining persistence, or pivoting to other systems . The other options are not as comprehensive as option B for the following reasons:

  A. Initiate with Nmap for a ping sweep, then use Metasploit to scan for open ports and services, and finally use Hping3 to perform remote OS fingerprinting: This option is not optimal because it does not use the tools in the most efficient and effective way. Nmap can perform a ping sweep, but it is slower and less flexible than Hping3, which can craft and send custom packets. Metasploit can scan for open ports and services, but it is more suitable for exploitation than scanning, and it relies on Nmap for port scanning anyway. Hping3 can perform remote OS fingerprinting, but it is less accurate and reliable than Nmap, which can use various techniques and probes to determine the OS type and version13 . C. Start with Hping3 for a UDP scan on random ports, then use Nmap for a version detection scan, and finally use Metasploit to exploit detected vulnerabilities: This option is not effective because it does not use the best scanning methods and techniques. Hping3 can perform a UDP scan, but it is slower and less reliable than a TCP scan, as UDP is a connectionless protocol that does not always generate responses. Scanning random ports is also inefficient and incomplete, as it may miss important ports or services. Nmap can perform a version detection scan, but it is more useful to perform a port scan first, as it can narrow down the scope and speed up the scan. Metasploit can exploit detected vulnerabilities, but it is not clear how the hacker can identify the vulnerabilities without performing a vulnerability scan first13 .

  D. Begin with NetScanTools Pro for a general network scan, then use Nmap for OS detection and version detection, and finally perform an SYN flooding with Hping3: This option is not comprehensive because it does not cover all the aspects and objectives of a network scan. NetScanTools Pro is a graphical tool that can perform various network tasks, such as ping, traceroute, DNS lookup, or port scan, but it is less powerful and versatile than Nmap or Hping3, which can perform more advanced and customized scans. Nmap can perform OS detection and version detection, but it is more useful to perform a port scan first, as it can provide more information and insights into the target system. Performing an SYN flooding with Hping3 is not a network scan, but a denial-of-service attack, which can disrupt the network and alert the target system, and it is not an ethical or legal action for a hired hacker13 . References:

  1: Hping - Wikipedia

  2: Hping3 Examples - NetworkProGuide

  3: Nmap - Wikipedia

  4: Nmap Tutorial: From Discovery to Exploits Part 1: Introduction to Nmap | HackerTarget.com

  5: Metasploit Project - Wikipedia

  6: Metasploit Unleashed - Offensive Security

  7: NetScanTools Pro - Northwest Performance Software, Inc.