This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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.
A company uses a SIEM platform that ingests logs from various sources. The SOC team receives an alert for a high number of failed login attempts (over 100 in 5 minutes) on the domain controller from a single IP address. The analyst investigates and finds that the failed attempts are for multiple different usernames, including some disabled accounts. The source IP is traced to an external VPN service. The analyst also notices that a few accounts had successful logins from the same IP after the failed attempts. Which of the following is the MOST likely attack type?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Brute-force attack.
Why wrong: This would show many attempts on a single account, not across multiple accounts.
Kerberoasting.
Why wrong: Targets service account hashes, not login attempts.
Password spraying.
Attacker tries common passwords across many accounts to avoid lockout.
Pass-the-hash.
Why wrong: Involves using NTLM hashes; does not manifest as failed login attempts.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Password spraying.
The attack involves a single external IP attempting logins with multiple different usernames (including disabled accounts) and eventually succeeding on a few. This is characteristic of a password spraying attack, where an attacker tries a small number of common passwords against many accounts to avoid triggering account lockout policies. The use of an external VPN service indicates the attacker is anonymizing their origin, and the successful logins after failures confirm the attack's objective.
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.
Brute-force attack.
Why it's wrong here
This would show many attempts on a single account, not across multiple accounts.
Kerberoasting.
Why it's wrong here
Targets service account hashes, not login attempts.
Password spraying.
Why this is correct
Attacker tries common passwords across many accounts to avoid lockout.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Pass-the-hash.
Why it's wrong here
Involves using NTLM hashes; does not manifest as failed login attempts.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the distinction between brute-force (many passwords, one user) and password spraying (one password, many users), and candidates mistakenly choose brute-force because they see 'failed login attempts' without analyzing the username distribution.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This would show many attempts on a single account, not across multiple accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
Password spraying exploits the fact that many organizations use common weak passwords (e.g., 'Password123', 'Spring2024') across multiple accounts. The attacker typically uses a tool like Hydra or a custom script to try one or two passwords per username, staying below the account lockout threshold (often 5-10 attempts). In Active Directory, this attack can be detected by monitoring Event ID 4625 (failed logon) with a single source IP and multiple target usernames, combined with Event ID 4624 (successful logon) for the same IP.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Password spraying. — The attack involves a single external IP attempting logins with multiple different usernames (including disabled accounts) and eventually succeeding on a few. This is characteristic of a password spraying attack, where an attacker tries a small number of common passwords against many accounts to avoid triggering account lockout policies. The use of an external VPN service indicates the attacker is anonymizing their origin, and the successful logins after failures confirm the attack's objective.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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