CS0-003 Practice Question: Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
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. A key principle to apply: kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.. 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? In the containment trade-off phase, Which response balances containment with evidence preservation?
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
The SIEM alert describes a workstation requesting a high number of Kerberos service tickets (TGS-REQ) for many different Service Principal Names (SPNs) without subsequent service access. This is classic Kerberoasting reconnaissance: an attacker with valid domain credentials (e.g., after initial compromise) requests TGS tickets for accounts with SPNs, then extracts and cracks the NTLM hash embedded in the ticket offline. The lack of service access confirms the tickets were harvested for offline cracking, not for legitimate use.
Key principle: Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
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
Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing is a Layer 2 attack and does not explain Kerberos ticket volume.
✗
Pass-the-hash using NTLM only
Why it's wrong here
This pattern concerns Kerberos service tickets, not NTLM hashes.
✗
DNS cache poisoning
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning changes name resolution and is not characterized by SPN ticket requests.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Kerberoasting (which uses Kerberos TGS requests and offline cracking) and pass-the-ticket or pass-the-hash attacks, leading candidates to confuse the harvesting phase with credential reuse attacks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kerberoasting exploits the Kerberos protocol's TGS-REP response, which includes a service ticket encrypted with the target service account's NTLM hash (derived from its password). An attacker can request tickets for any SPN (e.g., MSSQL, HTTP, CIFS) using tools like Rubeus or Impacket, then perform offline brute-force or dictionary attacks on the extracted hash. In a real-world scenario, defenders can detect this by monitoring for anomalous TGS-REQ volume from a single source, especially for SPNs not normally accessed by that workstation, and by correlating with failed service access logs.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
Attackers request TGS for SPNs to obtain encrypted hashes.
TGS are encrypted with the service account's NTLM hash.
Offline brute-forcing is used to crack the obtained TGS.
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
Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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 — Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Kerberoasting reconnaissance or ticket harvesting — The SIEM alert describes a workstation requesting a high number of Kerberos service tickets (TGS-REQ) for many different Service Principal Names (SPNs) without subsequent service access. This is classic Kerberoasting reconnaissance: an attacker with valid domain credentials (e.g., after initial compromise) requests TGS tickets for accounts with SPNs, then extracts and cracks the NTLM hash embedded in the ticket offline. The lack of service access confirms the tickets were harvested for offline cracking, not for legitimate use.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 question wrong?
Review kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs., then practise related CS0-003 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Kerberoasting targets service accounts with SPNs.
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Question Discussion
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