- A
It indicates a possible process hollowing or masquerading attack
Correct. Anomalous PID for lsass is suspicious.
- B
It shows that the system has multiple instances of lsass running
Why wrong: Only one lsass should run.
- C
It is normal; the PID can vary between system boots
Why wrong: Critical system processes like lsass have static PIDs.
- D
It suggests the process is a legitimate child of services.exe
Why wrong: Even if child, PID should match expected value.
Question 494 of 1,000
200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of host-based analysis. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 using Volatility's 'pslist' and 'pstree' commands on a memory dump. The output shows a process named 'lsass.exe' with a PID of 1024. However, the usual PID for lsass.exe on this system is 512. What does this discrepancy likely indicate?
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
✓
It indicates a possible process hollowing or masquerading attack
The 'lsass.exe' process (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) is a critical Windows system process responsible for enforcing security policies and handling authentication. Under normal conditions, lsass.exe runs as a child of 'winlogon.exe' or 'services.exe' with a consistent PID (often 512 or 528) across boots on a given system. A PID of 1024, especially when the known baseline is 512, strongly suggests that a malicious actor has spawned a fake 'lsass.exe' process via process hollowing (replacing the legitimate process's memory with malicious code) or masquerading (naming a malicious binary to mimic the legitimate one) to evade detection.
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.
- ✓
It indicates a possible process hollowing or masquerading attack
Why this is correct
Correct. Anomalous PID for lsass is suspicious.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
It shows that the system has multiple instances of lsass running
Why it's wrong here
Only one lsass should run.
- ✗
It is normal; the PID can vary between system boots
Why it's wrong here
Critical system processes like lsass have static PIDs.
- ✗
It suggests the process is a legitimate child of services.exe
Why it's wrong here
Even if child, PID should match expected value.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that PIDs are random or always change between boots, but in reality, critical system processes like lsass.exe have predictable PIDs due to their fixed boot order, making any significant deviation a clear sign of compromise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Process hollowing works by creating a legitimate process (e.g., lsass.exe) in a suspended state, unmapping its original code, and injecting malicious code into the process's memory before resuming it. Tools like Volatility's 'pslist' and 'pstree' can detect this by cross-referencing the process's PID with known baselines, checking for unusual parent-child relationships (e.g., lsass.exe spawned by explorer.exe instead of services.exe), or analyzing the process's memory for signs of code injection. In real-world scenarios, attackers often target lsass.exe to dump credentials via tools like Mimikatz, so a mismatched PID is a strong indicator of a credential theft attempt.
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.
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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: It indicates a possible process hollowing or masquerading attack — The 'lsass.exe' process (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) is a critical Windows system process responsible for enforcing security policies and handling authentication. Under normal conditions, lsass.exe runs as a child of 'winlogon.exe' or 'services.exe' with a consistent PID (often 512 or 528) across boots on a given system. A PID of 1024, especially when the known baseline is 512, strongly suggests that a malicious actor has spawned a fake 'lsass.exe' process via process hollowing (replacing the legitimate process's memory with malicious code) or masquerading (naming a malicious binary to mimic the legitimate one) to evade detection.
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
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.
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