This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of network intrusion 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.
During a PCAP analysis, an analyst sees an ICMP echo reply packet that is larger than usual (2000 bytes). What is this likely indicating?
ICMP flood
Why wrong: ICMP flood involves many packets, not a single large packet.
Fragmented packet
Why wrong: Fragmentation would split the packet, not just make it large.
Smurf attack
Why wrong: Smurf attack uses broadcast amplification, not large packets.
Ping of death attempt
Ping of death uses oversized ICMP packets to crash systems.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Ping of death attempt
A standard ICMP echo reply packet has a payload of 56 bytes (or 64 bytes including the ICMP header) for a total IP packet size of 84 bytes. A 2000-byte ICMP echo reply exceeds the maximum allowed size for an ICMP packet (65535 bytes for IPv4, but typical implementations limit the data portion to much smaller values). This oversized packet is characteristic of a Ping of Death attack, where the attacker sends a malformed ICMP packet that, when reassembled, causes a buffer overflow on the target system, leading to a crash or denial of service.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ICMP flood
Why it's wrong here
ICMP flood involves many packets, not a single large packet.
Fragmented packet
Why it's wrong here
Fragmentation would split the packet, not just make it large.
Smurf attack
Why it's wrong here
Smurf attack uses broadcast amplification, not large packets.
Ping of death attempt
Why this is correct
Ping of death uses oversized ICMP packets to crash systems.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between a high-volume attack (like an ICMP flood or Smurf attack) and a malformed-packet attack (like Ping of Death), where the key indicator is the abnormal size of a single packet rather than the rate of packets.
Detailed technical explanation
The Ping of Death exploits the fact that the maximum IPv4 packet size is 65535 bytes, but the ICMP echo request/reply payload is typically limited to 65507 bytes (65535 minus 20-byte IP header minus 8-byte ICMP header). By sending a fragmented ICMP packet where the total reassembled size exceeds 65535 bytes, older systems would overflow internal buffers. Modern operating systems have patched this vulnerability, but it remains a classic example of how protocol implementation flaws can be weaponized.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Network Intrusion Analysis — This question tests Network Intrusion Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Ping of death attempt — A standard ICMP echo reply packet has a payload of 56 bytes (or 64 bytes including the ICMP header) for a total IP packet size of 84 bytes. A 2000-byte ICMP echo reply exceeds the maximum allowed size for an ICMP packet (65535 bytes for IPv4, but typical implementations limit the data portion to much smaller values). This oversized packet is characteristic of a Ping of Death attack, where the attacker sends a malformed ICMP packet that, when reassembled, causes a buffer overflow on the target system, leading to a crash or denial of service.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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