- A
airmon-ng
Why wrong: airmon-ng enables monitor mode on wireless interfaces.
- B
airodump-ng
Why wrong: airodump-ng captures packets, does not crack.
- C
aireplay-ng
Why wrong: aireplay-ng injects packets for deauth/ARP replay, not cracking.
- D
aircrack-ng
Correct: cracks WEP and WPA keys from captured handshakes.
Question 289 of 1,000
PT0-002 Tools and Code Analysis Practice Question
This PT0-002 practice question tests your understanding of tools and code analysis. 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 penetration tester has captured a WPA2 handshake. Which tool from the Aircrack-ng suite is used to crack the pre-shared key?
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
✓
aircrack-ng
Aircrack-ng (option D) is the tool in the Aircrack-ng suite specifically designed to crack WPA2 pre-shared keys (PSK) by performing an offline dictionary or brute-force attack against the captured four-way handshake. It uses the handshake data (specifically the EAPOL frames) to derive the Pairwise Master Key (PMK) and verify it against candidate passphrases, making it the correct choice for this task.
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.
- ✗
airmon-ng
Why it's wrong here
airmon-ng enables monitor mode on wireless interfaces.
- ✗
airodump-ng
Why it's wrong here
airodump-ng captures packets, does not crack.
- ✗
aireplay-ng
Why it's wrong here
aireplay-ng injects packets for deauth/ARP replay, not cracking.
- ✓
aircrack-ng
Why this is correct
Correct: cracks WEP and WPA keys from captured handshakes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the tool that captures the handshake (airodump-ng) or the tool that forces the handshake (aireplay-ng) with the tool that actually performs the cryptographic cracking (aircrack-ng), leading them to select a wrong option.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The cracking process in aircrack-ng works by computing the PMK from each candidate passphrase using the PBKDF2 function with the SSID and 4096 iterations of HMAC-SHA1, then comparing the resulting PTK (derived from the PMK, AP nonce, client nonce, and MAC addresses) against the captured handshake's MIC (Message Integrity Code). In real-world scenarios, aircrack-ng can leverage GPU acceleration (e.g., via hashcat) or wordlist rules to speed up the attack, but it remains limited by the complexity of the PSK.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Tools and Code Analysis — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PT0-002 question test?
Tools and Code Analysis — This question tests Tools and Code Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: aircrack-ng — Aircrack-ng (option D) is the tool in the Aircrack-ng suite specifically designed to crack WPA2 pre-shared keys (PSK) by performing an offline dictionary or brute-force attack against the captured four-way handshake. It uses the handshake data (specifically the EAPOL frames) to derive the Pairwise Master Key (PMK) and verify it against candidate passphrases, making it the correct choice for this task.
What should I do if I get this PT0-002 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PT0-002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PT0-002 exam.
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