- A
ARP poisoning
Why wrong: ARP poisoning involves sending forged ARP messages to associate the attacker's MAC with a legitimate IP address. This does not directly target DHCP.
- B
DNS amplification
Why wrong: DNS amplification is a type of DDoS attack that uses misconfigured DNS servers to flood a target with traffic. It is not related to DHCP.
- C
DHCP starvation
The scenario describes a classic DHCP starvation attack. The attacker floods the DHCP server with Discover messages, causing it to exhaust its address pool. Legitimate clients then cannot obtain IP addresses.
- D
Rogue DHCP server
Why wrong: A rogue DHCP server attack involves an unauthorized server offering IP addresses to clients, potentially intercepting traffic. Here, the legitimate server is being flooded, not spoofed.
N10-009 Network Security Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network security. 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 security analyst notices that the DHCP server is responding to a large number of DHCP Discover messages from a single MAC address, but that client never sends a DHCP Request to complete the lease. This pattern repeats continuously. Which type of attack is most likely occurring?
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.
Clue:
"never"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
DHCP starvation
Option C is correct because the described behavior—a single MAC address sending continuous DHCP Discover messages without completing the lease with a DHCP Request—is the hallmark of a DHCP starvation attack. The attacker exhausts the DHCP server's IP address pool by claiming all available leases, preventing legitimate clients from obtaining IP addresses. This attack targets the DHCP protocol's four-step DORA (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) process by never completing the handshake.
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.
- ✗
ARP poisoning
Why it's wrong here
ARP poisoning involves sending forged ARP messages to associate the attacker's MAC with a legitimate IP address. This does not directly target DHCP.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a scenario where an attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC with the IP of a legitimate device, causing traffic to be misdirected, would make ARP poisoning the correct answer.
- ✗
DNS amplification
Why it's wrong here
DNS amplification is a type of DDoS attack that uses misconfigured DNS servers to flood a target with traffic. It is not related to DHCP.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a network under a DDoS attack where the attacker sends small queries to open DNS resolvers with a spoofed source IP (the victim), causing large responses to overwhelm the victim. The key clue would be high bandwidth consumption and DNS traffic.
- ✓
DHCP starvation
Why this is correct
The scenario describes a classic DHCP starvation attack. The attacker floods the DHCP server with Discover messages, causing it to exhaust its address pool. Legitimate clients then cannot obtain IP addresses.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "most likely", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Rogue DHCP server
Why it's wrong here
A rogue DHCP server attack involves an unauthorized server offering IP addresses to clients, potentially intercepting traffic. Here, the legitimate server is being flooded, not spoofed.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The N10-009 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓DHCP starvationCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
The scenario describes a classic DHCP starvation attack. The attacker floods the DHCP server with Discover messages, causing it to exhaust its address pool. Legitimate clients then cannot obtain IP addresses.
✗ARP poisoningWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
ARP poisoning involves manipulating ARP tables to intercept traffic, not flooding DHCP with Discover messages from a single MAC without completing the lease.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a scenario where an attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC with the IP of a legitimate device, causing traffic to be misdirected, would make ARP poisoning the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse DHCP starvation with ARP-based attacks because both involve MAC addresses and network exhaustion, but ARP poisoning targets layer 2 address resolution, not DHCP lease exhaustion.
✗DNS amplificationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
DNS amplification attacks exploit open DNS resolvers to flood a target with amplified traffic, not DHCP servers or MAC addresses. The question describes DHCP-specific behavior (Discover messages without Request), which is unrelated to DNS.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a network under a DDoS attack where the attacker sends small queries to open DNS resolvers with a spoofed source IP (the victim), causing large responses to overwhelm the victim. The key clue would be high bandwidth consumption and DNS traffic.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'amplification' with the repeated Discover messages, thinking the DHCP server is being used to amplify traffic, but DHCP starvation is about exhausting IP addresses, not traffic amplification.
✗Rogue DHCP serverWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A rogue DHCP server attack involves an unauthorized server offering IP addresses, not a single MAC address repeatedly sending Discover messages without completing the lease. The described pattern of continuous Discover messages from one MAC is characteristic of DHCP starvation, not rogue server.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing clients receiving incorrect IP configurations (e.g., wrong gateway or DNS) from an unauthorized DHCP server on the network, leading to connectivity issues or man-in-the-middle attacks. The correct answer would be 'Rogue DHCP server'.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse DHCP starvation (exhausting IP pool) with a rogue DHCP server (offering malicious leases), as both involve DHCP abuse. The continuous Discover messages might be misattributed to a rogue server trying to respond, rather than a client flooding to deplete addresses.
Analysis generated from the official N10-009blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse DHCP starvation with a rogue DHCP server attack, but the key distinction is that starvation exhausts the legitimate server's pool via incomplete handshakes, while a rogue server offers its own IPs to intercept traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a DHCP starvation attack, the attacker typically spoofs the source MAC address for each Discover message to bypass per-MAC rate limiting, though in this scenario a single MAC is used (possibly due to lack of spoofing or a simpler script). The DHCP server, following RFC 2131, must respond to each Discover with an Offer, reserving an IP address in its lease database until the Request timeout (usually 60 seconds). In real-world deployments, DHCP snooping on switches can mitigate this by rate-limiting DHCP messages per port or by validating DHCP binding entries.
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 N10-009 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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this N10-009 question test?
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: DHCP starvation — Option C is correct because the described behavior—a single MAC address sending continuous DHCP Discover messages without completing the lease with a DHCP Request—is the hallmark of a DHCP starvation attack. The attacker exhausts the DHCP server's IP address pool by claiming all available leases, preventing legitimate clients from obtaining IP addresses. This attack targets the DHCP protocol's four-step DORA (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) process by never completing the handshake.
What should I do if I get this N10-009 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely", "never". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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