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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
C:\Users\admin>tasklist /SVC
Image Name PID Services
========================= ======== ============================================
svchost.exe 1240 DcomLaunch, LSM
svchost.exe 1500 BrokerInfrastructure, gpsvc, ProfSvc
svchost.exe 1780 Schedule
svchost.exe 1972 Themes
svchost.exe 2100 WlanSvc
notmalware.exe 2300 No services are associated with this image.
```
Refer to the exhibit. An analyst runs tasklist /SVC on a suspected host. Which process is most suspicious?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
notmalware.exe with PID 2300
Option C is correct because 'notmalware.exe' is a deliberately suspicious process name that does not correspond to any legitimate Windows system binary. The tasklist /SVC command displays processes and their associated services; a process named 'notmalware.exe' is a clear indicator of potential malware attempting to disguise itself with an ironic name, whereas svchost.exe is a legitimate Windows host process for services.
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.
✗
svchost.exe with PID 1500
Why it's wrong here
Another legitimate svchost.
✗
svchost.exe with PID 1240
Why it's wrong here
svchost is legitimate; it hosts multiple services.
✓
notmalware.exe with PID 2300
Why this is correct
Unusual name and no services; likely malware disguised.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
svchost.exe with PID 1780
Why it's wrong here
Legitimate service host for Schedule.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that multiple svchost.exe processes are inherently suspicious, when in fact Windows normally runs many svchost instances, and the real red flag is a process with a clearly fabricated name like 'notmalware.exe'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The tasklist /SVC command maps each process to its hosted services, which is useful for identifying malicious processes that masquerade as svchost.exe but are not registered in the Service Control Manager (SCM). Legitimate svchost.exe processes run from C:\Windows\System32 and are launched by services.exe; any svchost.exe running from a different path or with a misspelled name (e.g., 'scvhost.exe') is a common malware technique. In real-world investigations, analysts also check for svchost.exe processes with no associated services or those that are child processes of unusual executables.
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.
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: notmalware.exe with PID 2300 — Option C is correct because 'notmalware.exe' is a deliberately suspicious process name that does not correspond to any legitimate Windows system binary. The tasklist /SVC command displays processes and their associated services; a process named 'notmalware.exe' is a clear indicator of potential malware attempting to disguise itself with an ironic name, whereas svchost.exe is a legitimate Windows host process for services.
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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