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A penetration tester has been given access to a network tap on a client's internal network. The tester wants to perform initial reconnaissance by identifying all live hosts and their operating systems without sending any packets that could be detected. Which technique is most appropriate?

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A penetration tester has been given access to a network tap on a client's internal network. The tester wants to perform initial reconnaissance by identifying all live hosts and their operating systems without sending any packets that could be detected. Which technique is most appropriate?

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Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

Perform an ARP scan using arp-scan from a connected workstation.

ARP scanning is an active technique that sends ARP requests to the network, which can be detected by security monitoring tools.

B

Best answer

Run Wireshark to capture traffic and analyze source IP addresses and TCP/IP stack signatures.

Wireshark (or similar tools) passively captures network traffic. Source IPs reveal active hosts, and analysis of TCP/IP parameters (e.g., TTL, window size) allows OS fingerprinting without sending any packets.

C

Distractor review

Use Nmap with the -sn flag to perform a ping sweep of the subnet.

Nmap -sn (ping sweep) sends ICMP echo requests, TCP pings, or ARP probes, all of which are active scans that generate network traffic and may be detected.

D

Distractor review

Initiate a DNS zone transfer request to the internal DNS servers.

A DNS zone transfer is an active query that requests all DNS records from a nameserver. It may be restricted and generates network traffic.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
  • Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
  • Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
  • The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

  • Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
  • Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
  • Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Related practice questions

Related PT0-002 practice-question pages

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More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

A penetration tester is writing the executive summary for a report. The client's CEO needs to understand the business impact of a critical SQL injection vulnerability. Which of the following should the tester include?

Question 2

A penetration tester has gained a low-privileged shell on a Linux server. During enumeration, the tester discovers a binary with the SUID bit set that belongs to root and is known to have a buffer overflow vulnerability. What is the MOST effective next step to escalate privileges?

Question 3

A penetration tester is performing passive reconnaissance against a target domain. Which of the following resources can be used to gather information about the target without directly sending packets to the target's network? (Select two.) (Choose 2.)

Question 4

A penetration tester has obtained a TGT from a domain controller by cracking the krbtgt hash. Which attack can the tester now perform to gain persistent administrative access to any resource in the domain?

Question 5

A penetration tester is writing the executive summary for the final report. The CEO needs to understand the overall risk level and the business impact of the findings. Which of the following should be included in the executive summary?

Question 6

A penetration tester is writing the executive summary of a penetration test report. Which of the following elements is MOST important to include for a non-technical audience?

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PT0-002 question test?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Run Wireshark to capture traffic and analyze source IP addresses and TCP/IP stack signatures. — Passive traffic capture (e.g., using Wireshark or tcpdump) is the best approach because it listens to existing network traffic without sending any packets. By analyzing source IP addresses and OS fingerprinting techniques (such as TCP window size and TTL), the tester can identify live hosts and their operating systems without generating detectable network activity.

What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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