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A penetration tester is conducting an internal network scan and wants to minimize the chance of being detected by an intrusion detection system (IDS). Which TCP scan type is most likely to evade detection?

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A penetration tester is conducting an internal network scan and wants to minimize the chance of being detected by an intrusion detection system (IDS). Which TCP scan type is most likely to evade detection?

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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

TCP connect scan

A TCP connect scan completes the full three-way handshake, which is easily logged by IDS and applications. It is the most detectable type of scan.

B

Distractor review

SYN scan

A SYN scan sends SYN packets and analyzes responses. It is semi-stealthy but still commonly detected by IDS because it's the most common scan type.

C

Best answer

FIN scan

A FIN scan sends only FIN packets. Many systems and IDS do not log these as intrusively, though some modern firewalls may detect them. It is generally considered more stealthy than SYN or connect scans.

D

Distractor review

UDP scan

UDP scans are slower and less reliable, and they use a different protocol. They are not a TCP scan type and are often detected by IDS due to the nature of UDP responses.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

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.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • 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.

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?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: FIN scan — A FIN scan sends a TCP packet with only the FIN flag set. According to RFC 793, closed ports respond with an RST packet, while open ports ignore the FIN packet (if the system follows the RFC). Many IDS systems are tuned to detect common SYN scans but may not flag FIN scans as aggressively. However, modern systems and IDS often detect FIN scans, but among the options, it is still the stealthiest as it does not complete a full connection. The question tests knowledge of TCP flag manipulation for stealth.

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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