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 SIEM alert shows one workstation requesting a high number of Kerberos service tickets for many SPNs, followed by no corresponding service access. Which attack should be suspected?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Kerberoasting reconnaissance or ticket harvesting
A high volume of Kerberos service ticket requests for many SPNs, followed by no actual service access, is characteristic of Kerberoasting reconnaissance. In this attack, an adversary with valid domain credentials requests TGS tickets for service accounts to extract the NTLM hash embedded in the ticket, which can then be cracked offline. The lack of subsequent service access confirms the tickets were obtained solely for offline brute-force cracking, not legitimate use.
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.
✓
Kerberoasting reconnaissance or ticket harvesting
Why this is correct
Unusual TGS-REQ volume across service principals can indicate Kerberoasting activity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
DNS cache poisoning
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning changes name resolution and is not characterized by SPN ticket requests.
✗
Pass-the-hash using NTLM only
Why it's wrong here
This pattern concerns Kerberos service tickets, not NTLM hashes.
✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing is a Layer 2 attack and does not explain Kerberos ticket volume.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between reconnaissance (ticket harvesting without access) and actual exploitation; the trap here is confusing Kerberoasting with pass-the-ticket or golden ticket attacks, which involve ticket reuse or forgery rather than offline hash cracking.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kerberoasting leverages the Kerberos TGS-REQ process: the attacker uses tools like Rubeus or Impacket to request service tickets for SPNs registered to user accounts (not computer accounts), as those tickets are encrypted with the service account's NTLM hash. The attacker can then extract the encrypted portion (TGS-REP) and perform offline brute-force cracking using tools like Hashcat or John the Ripper. A real-world scenario involves an attacker with low-privileged domain credentials enumerating all SPNs via LDAP queries (e.g., GetUserSPNs) to target high-value service accounts like SQL Server or IIS service accounts.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CS0-003 question in full detail.
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Kerberoasting reconnaissance or ticket harvesting — A high volume of Kerberos service ticket requests for many SPNs, followed by no actual service access, is characteristic of Kerberoasting reconnaissance. In this attack, an adversary with valid domain credentials requests TGS tickets for service accounts to extract the NTLM hash embedded in the ticket, which can then be cracked offline. The lack of subsequent service access confirms the tickets were obtained solely for offline brute-force cracking, not legitimate use.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 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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Question Discussion
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