200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
An analyst detects an attack where the attacker uses NTLM authentication with a hashed password instead of the plaintext password. This technique is known as:
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Pass-the-hash
Pass-the-hash allows an attacker to authenticate using the hash of a password without knowing the actual password.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Password spraying
Why it's wrong here
Password spraying uses common passwords across many accounts.
- ✗
Brute force
Why it's wrong here
Brute force tries many passwords, not using hashes.
- ✗
Kerberos ticket reuse
Why it's wrong here
Kerberos ticket reuse is a different attack (pass-the-ticket).
- ✓
Pass-the-hash
Why this is correct
Correct. Pass-the-hash uses the NTLM hash for authentication.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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