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A penetration tester is performing active reconnaissance on a target network. The tester sends TCP SYN packets to a range of ports on a target host. Only a few ports respond with SYN-ACK packets. What does this indicate?

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A penetration tester is performing active reconnaissance on a target network. The tester sends TCP SYN packets to a range of ports on a target host. Only a few ports respond with SYN-ACK packets. What does this indicate?

Full question →

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

The host is protected by a firewall that drops all packets.

If all packets were dropped, there would be no SYN-ACK responses at all.

B

Best answer

The ports that responded with SYN-ACK are open.

A SYN-ACK reply indicates that the port is open and the target is willing to establish a connection.

C

Distractor review

The host is running a stealthy IDS.

An IDS might log the scan, but it does not affect the TCP handshake responses.

D

Distractor review

The network is using IPv6.

IP version is not determined by SYN scan responses; the scan is likely IPv4.

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: The ports that responded with SYN-ACK are open. — A SYN scan (half-open scan) sends a TCP SYN packet and waits for a SYN-ACK response to determine if a port is open. Receiving a SYN-ACK means the port is listening and accepting connections. Ports that do not respond with SYN-ACK are typically closed or filtered by a firewall. This simple observation helps identify open ports.

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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