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200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question

This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of host-based analysis. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

An analyst is investigating a Windows host and observes a suspicious process with PID 1337. Which THREE of the following Volatility commands would provide useful information about this process? (Choose three.)

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

cmdline

The `cmdline` plugin displays the command-line arguments used to start a process, which is critical for identifying malicious or suspicious execution patterns (e.g., obfuscated paths, encoded commands). For PID 1337, this reveals exactly how the process was launched, helping to confirm or refute malicious intent.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • cmdline

    Why this is correct

    Correct. Shows command-line arguments for the process.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • hivelist

    Why it's wrong here

    hivelist lists registry hives, not process-specific.

  • pslist

    Why this is correct

    Correct. Lists all processes with PIDs.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • connscan

    Why it's wrong here

    connscan scans for network connections, not process-specific info.

  • dlllist

    Why this is correct

    Correct. Lists DLLs loaded by the process.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the distinction between process-specific plugins (like `cmdline`, `dlllist`, `pslist`) and system-wide or network plugins (like `hivelist`, `connscan`), leading candidates to select plugins that are useful for general analysis but not directly for investigating a specific process.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The `cmdline` plugin reads the `EPROCESS` block's `SeAuditProcessCreationInfo` structure to extract the command line from the process environment block (PEB). In real-world investigations, attackers often use `rundll32.exe` or `powershell.exe` with encoded or base64 command lines, which `cmdline` exposes directly. The `dlllist` plugin enumerates loaded DLLs from the PEB's `InLoadOrderModuleList`, which can reveal malicious DLL injection or side-loading. The `pslist` plugin walks the doubly linked list of `EPROCESS` structures to list all processes, confirming PID 1337 exists and showing its parent PID and creation time.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 200-201 question test?

Host-Based Analysis — This question tests Host-Based Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: cmdline — The `cmdline` plugin displays the command-line arguments used to start a process, which is critical for identifying malicious or suspicious execution patterns (e.g., obfuscated paths, encoded commands). For PID 1337, this reveals exactly how the process was launched, helping to confirm or refute malicious intent.

What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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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.