200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
An analyst is analyzing a PCAP from a compromised host. Which THREE of the following are common indicators of exploitation attempts in network traffic?
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
✓
Return-oriented programming (ROP) gadget chains in data
Exploitation indicators include shellcode patterns (NOP sleds, ROP gadgets) and heap spray (large blocks of similar data).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Return-oriented programming (ROP) gadget chains in data
Why this is correct
ROP gadgets bypass DEP and are exploitation indicators.
- ✓
Presence of NOP sleds (e.g., repeated 0x90 bytes) in payload
Why this is correct
NOP sleds are used in shellcode to ensure execution.
- ✗
Regular HTTP GET requests to a news website
Why it's wrong here
Normal browsing, not exploitation.
- ✓
Large blocks of identical data (e.g., 0x0c0c0c0c) sent to a process
Why this is correct
Heap spray uses repeated data to fill memory.
- ✗
DNS requests for common websites like google.com
Why it's wrong here
Normal DNS resolution.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.