312-50v13 Exam Dumps - ECCouncil CEH v13 Questions and Answers

This activity clearly indicates a TCP SYN scan, also known as a half-open scan, which is a commonly used stealth scanning technique discussed in CEH v13 Reconnaissance and Network Scanning. In a SYN scan, the attacker sends TCP SYN packets to target ports and observes the responses without completing the TCP three-way handshake.

If the port is open, the target responds with a SYN/ACK packet. The scanner then immediately sends a RST packet instead of the final ACK, leaving the connection half-open. This behavior allows attackers to identify open ports while minimizing log entries and reducing detection by security monitoring tools.

The absence of ACK packets in logs supports this explanation, as the handshake is never completed.

Other options are incorrect because:

XMAS scans send packets with multiple flags set.

SYN/ACK scans are primarily used for firewall rule discovery.

TCP Connect scans complete the full handshake and generate ACKs.

CEH v13 emphasizes that SYN scans are widely used because they balance accuracy and stealth, making them a preferred reconnaissance method for attackers.

The CEH Network Scanning module explains that ICMP Echo Requests are often filtered or blocked by firewalls, routers, or host-based security controls as a defensive measure to reduce reconnaissance exposure.

When systems fail to respond to ICMP Echo Requests but continue to function normally for other services, CEH indicates that this behavior typically means ICMP traffic is being blocked, not that the host is offline or compromised.

Option B is correct.

Option A would affect all services.

Option C lacks supporting indicators.

Option D is speculative and unreliable.

CEH emphasizes that ICMP filtering is common in hardened networks.

The correct answer is C. Ping method by sending packets with an incorrect MAC address.

The scenario describes testing whether a network card is processing packets not intended for it. That is exactly what promiscuous mode does. In promiscuous mode, a NIC accepts frames even when they are not addressed to its own MAC address.

CEH sniffing material explains that the Ping Method detects a sniffer by sending a ping request to the suspect IP address with a spoofed MAC address. If the NIC is not in promiscuous mode, it will not respond. If the suspect system is running a sniffer, it may respond to the packet .

Option A. DNS method is incorrect because the scenario does not describe reverse DNS lookup behavior.

Option B. NSE script can be used for promiscuous-mode detection in some cases, but the question specifically describes crafted packets used to test acceptance of traffic not addressed to the host.

Option D. ARP method is another sniffer detection method, but it relies on non-broadcast ARP cache behavior. The scenario’s wording most directly matches the ping method with an incorrect or spoofed MAC address.

Therefore, the best answer is C. Ping method by sending packets with an incorrect MAC address.

According to CEH v13, black box testing refers to a testing approach where the ethical hacker has no prior knowledge of the internal structure, source code, or configuration of the system.

The attacker simulates a real-world external attacker, relying solely on discovery and exploitation techniques.

White box testing = full knowledge

Gray box testing = partial knowledge

The correct answer is B. Stealth Virus because the defining characteristic described is hiding malicious presence by intercepting operating system calls and masking changes so that normal tools (including antivirus scans) do not observe the infection. In CEH-aligned malware concepts, stealth viruses are designed to evade detection by concealing modifications to files, boot records, or system areas. They commonly do this by hooking system functions or APIs so that when the OS or a security product requests file contents, sizes, checksums, directory listings, or other metadata, the virus returns clean-looking or original data instead of the infected/modified version. This makes infected files appear to “function normally,” while the malware remains active in memory and persists on disk.

The scenario explicitly mentions that “infected files continue to function normally” and that the malware “conceals its modifications by intercepting operating system calls.” That is the classic behavior of stealth techniques: manipulate what the system reports, not necessarily change the outward behavior of the application. The repeated “no threats detected” results also align: signature-based or basic scanning can be blinded when the malware controls the interface through which the scanner reads target files or system structures.

Why the other options are less correct: a polymorphic virus focuses on changing its code/signature between infections to evade signature-based detection, but the key clue here is OS call interception and hiding modifications, not code mutation. A macro virus targets macro-enabled documents and spreads through macro execution in office applications; it is not primarily defined by OS-level call hooking. A cavity virus (spacefiller) hides by inserting itself into unused areas of a file without changing the file size, but the scenario’s emphasis is on intercepting OS calls to conceal changes, which is more directly the stealth-virus behavior.

Therefore, Ryan most likely deployed a stealth virus.

The CEH DDoS Mitigation Strategies section explains that load balancing distributes traffic across multiple servers or infrastructure components to prevent any single resource from being overwhelmed.

By using hardware load balancers and cloud-based traffic distribution, organizations can:

Absorb large volumes of attack traffic

Maintain service availability

Ensure legitimate users are served

Option B is correct and directly matches CEH’s definition.

Option A drops all traffic, including legitimate requests.

Option C focuses on traffic analysis rather than distribution.

Option D limits traffic rather than distributing it.

CEH strongly recommends load balancing as a core DDoS resilience mechanism.

This scenario describes Differential Cryptanalysis, a powerful cryptanalytic technique covered in CEH v13 Cryptography. Differential cryptanalysis focuses on analyzing how small changes in plaintext input affect the resulting ciphertext output, with the goal of uncovering patterns related to the secret encryption key.

CEH v13 explains that symmetric algorithms rely on complex transformations—such as substitution and permutation—to obscure relationships between plaintext and ciphertext. However, in some algorithms, predictable differences may propagate through encryption rounds in a way that reveals statistical biases. By carefully selecting pairs of plaintext inputs with controlled differences and comparing the resulting ciphertexts, attackers can infer information about intermediate states and eventually the encryption key.

This method does not attempt every possible key (brute force), nor does it rely on execution timing or system performance metrics (timing attacks). It also differs from chosen-ciphertext attacks, which involve submitting chosen ciphertexts for decryption rather than observing encryption behavior.

Differential cryptanalysis was instrumental in breaking early block ciphers and is a key reason why modern algorithms like AES are designed with resistance to differential attacks. CEH v13 emphasizes that understanding this attack is critical for evaluating the strength of symmetric encryption algorithms and their internal structure.

Therefore, Option A accurately describes the technique being employed.

This scenario most closely matches spam and phishing delivered through social networking platforms, a technique emphasized in CEH social engineering coverage as social media phishing or spear phishing via professional networks. Nadia impersonates a trusted internal authority figure, a senior HR manager, and uses believable branding elements such as a stolen logo and accurate employee details to establish credibility. She then initiates contact through connection requests and funnels targets into a controlled space, a private group, where she requests sensitive information. Collecting a work email address and department role may appear harmless, but CEH guidance notes that attackers often start with small, plausible requests to build trust and assemble data for deeper compromise. Work emails and roles enable targeted spear phishing, business email compromise preparation, password reset targeting, and crafting convincing pretexts aligned to the victim’s function.

The core mechanics align with phishing: deception, impersonation, and a call to action designed to extract information. The “exclusive project updates” hook is a classic lure used to increase compliance. While the exercise could lead to involuntary data leakage as a downstream effect, the primary simulated threat is the phishing process itself, using social media as the delivery channel. Loss of productivity is not the intent here, and network vulnerability exploitation refers to technical system flaws rather than manipulating human trust. Therefore, the most accurate classification of Nadia’s drill is spam and phishing conducted through a social media pretext.

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Network and Perimeter Hacking module describes MAC flooding as an attack targeting switch CAM (Content Addressable Memory) tables. The attacker overwhelms the switch by sending frames with spoofed MAC addresses, forcing the switch to broadcast traffic like a hub.

Option D is the correct indicator because MAC flooding results in many different MAC addresses being learned on a single switch port, which is abnormal behavior. CEH documentation identifies this as the primary forensic sign of a MAC flooding attack.

Option A relates more closely to ARP poisoning rather than MAC flooding.

Option B can occur in network misconfigurations but is not a primary MAC flooding indicator.

Option C is common in NAT environments and is not malicious by itself.

CEH emphasizes monitoring CAM table behavior and port security violations to detect MAC flooding attacks effectively.

CEH v13 identifies automated patch management as the most secure and scalable approach. Automated tools ensure timely deployment, validation, rollback capability, and compliance reporting.

Manual patching increases human error. Applying patches from unknown sources introduces malware risk. Limiting patches contradicts best practices.

Therefore, Option B is correct.