ETHICAL HACKING CERTIFICATION –QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Information Security Threats and Attack Vectors
Reconnaissance and Footprinting Techniques
Network Scanning and Enumeration
Vulnerability Analysis and Assessment
System Hacking and Exploitation
Web Application Security and Injection Attacks
Wireless Network and IoT Security
Cloud Computing Security Threats
Cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure
Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards
, Introduction
The purpose of this exam is to rigorously evaluate a candidate's proficiency in identifying,
analyzing, and mitigating security vulnerabilities within complex technical environments.
This assessment tests foundational theory, technical mastery, and adherence to
professional ethical standards. The structure incorporates both knowledge-based
multiple-choice questions and complex scenario-based assessments designed to reflect
real-world adversarial tactics. Candidates are expected to demonstrate critical thinking,
sound judgment, and the ability to apply defensive strategies in high-stakes
environments. Success confirms the practitioner's capability to operate as an ethical
hacker while maintaining strict regulatory compliance and professional integrity during
authorized security engagements.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Question 1
Which phase of the ethical hacking process involves gathering information about the
target using passive methods?
,A. Scanning
B. Footprinting
C. Gaining Access
D. Maintaining Access
🟢B
🔴 RATIONALE: Footprinting is the foundational phase where an attacker or ethical
hacker gathers as much information as possible about a target system or organization
using passive methods, such as WHOIS lookups or searching public records, without
directly interacting with the target system.
Question 2
When performing a vulnerability assessment, what does the CVSS score represent?
A. The difficulty of the exploit code
B. The severity and risk level of the vulnerability
C. The time required to patch the system
D. The number of systems affected by the breach
🟢B
🔴 RATIONALE: The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a
numerical representation of the severity of a vulnerability, helping security professionals
prioritize remediation efforts based on the risk it poses to the environment.
Question 3
An attacker sends a flood of SYN packets to a target server but never completes the
, handshake. What type of attack is this?
A. Buffer Overflow
B. SQL Injection
C. SYN Flood
D. Cross-Site Scripting
🟢C
🔴 RATIONALE: A SYN flood is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack where the
attacker exploits the TCP three-way handshake by sending a rapid succession of SYN
requests, leaving the server waiting for acknowledgments that never arrive, eventually
exhausting server resources.
Question 4
Which cryptographic algorithm is considered insecure and vulnerable to collision
attacks?
A. AES-256
B. SHA-256
C. MD5
D. RSA
🟢C
🔴 RATIONALE: MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5) is widely regarded as
cryptographically broken because it is susceptible to collision attacks, where two different
inputs produce the same hash output.
(VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Information Security Threats and Attack Vectors
Reconnaissance and Footprinting Techniques
Network Scanning and Enumeration
Vulnerability Analysis and Assessment
System Hacking and Exploitation
Web Application Security and Injection Attacks
Wireless Network and IoT Security
Cloud Computing Security Threats
Cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure
Legal, Ethical, and Professional Standards
, Introduction
The purpose of this exam is to rigorously evaluate a candidate's proficiency in identifying,
analyzing, and mitigating security vulnerabilities within complex technical environments.
This assessment tests foundational theory, technical mastery, and adherence to
professional ethical standards. The structure incorporates both knowledge-based
multiple-choice questions and complex scenario-based assessments designed to reflect
real-world adversarial tactics. Candidates are expected to demonstrate critical thinking,
sound judgment, and the ability to apply defensive strategies in high-stakes
environments. Success confirms the practitioner's capability to operate as an ethical
hacker while maintaining strict regulatory compliance and professional integrity during
authorized security engagements.
Section One: Questions 1–100
Question 1
Which phase of the ethical hacking process involves gathering information about the
target using passive methods?
,A. Scanning
B. Footprinting
C. Gaining Access
D. Maintaining Access
🟢B
🔴 RATIONALE: Footprinting is the foundational phase where an attacker or ethical
hacker gathers as much information as possible about a target system or organization
using passive methods, such as WHOIS lookups or searching public records, without
directly interacting with the target system.
Question 2
When performing a vulnerability assessment, what does the CVSS score represent?
A. The difficulty of the exploit code
B. The severity and risk level of the vulnerability
C. The time required to patch the system
D. The number of systems affected by the breach
🟢B
🔴 RATIONALE: The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a
numerical representation of the severity of a vulnerability, helping security professionals
prioritize remediation efforts based on the risk it poses to the environment.
Question 3
An attacker sends a flood of SYN packets to a target server but never completes the
, handshake. What type of attack is this?
A. Buffer Overflow
B. SQL Injection
C. SYN Flood
D. Cross-Site Scripting
🟢C
🔴 RATIONALE: A SYN flood is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack where the
attacker exploits the TCP three-way handshake by sending a rapid succession of SYN
requests, leaving the server waiting for acknowledgments that never arrive, eventually
exhausting server resources.
Question 4
Which cryptographic algorithm is considered insecure and vulnerable to collision
attacks?
A. AES-256
B. SHA-256
C. MD5
D. RSA
🟢C
🔴 RATIONALE: MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5) is widely regarded as
cryptographically broken because it is susceptible to collision attacks, where two different
inputs produce the same hash output.
