PT0-002 Attacks and Exploits Practice Question
A penetration tester wants to perform a pass-the-hash attack against a Windows system. Which tool can be used to authenticate using the NTLM hash instead of a password?
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
✓
CrackMapExec
CrackMapExec supports pass-the-hash authentication with NTLM hashes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Responder
Why it's wrong here
Responder poisons LLMNR, NBT-NS and mDNS to capture NetNTLM challenge-response hashes; it does not submit a captured hash to authenticate, which is what pass-the-hash requires. It is tempting because it is the standard tool for harvesting hashes, and would be correct during the credential-capture phase before the attack.
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Hashcat
Why it's wrong here
Hashcat performs offline cracking, recovering a plaintext password from a captured hash; it never authenticates to a remote service, so it cannot execute pass-the-hash. It is tempting because it consumes NTLM hashes, and would be correct when brute-forcing or dictionary-attacking a hash offline.
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CrackMapExec
Why this is correct
CrackMapExec accepts an NTLM hash via its -H flag and passes it directly during SMB or WinRM authentication, so no plaintext password is needed. This exploits NTLM's design, where the hash itself is the credential, enabling lateral movement across Windows hosts.
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John the Ripper
Why it's wrong here
John the Ripper cracks hashes offline to recover plaintext; it cannot inject an NTLM hash into a live authentication exchange. It is tempting because it handles NTLM hashes, but for offline password recovery, not authenticated sessions.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PT0-003 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 PT0-003 exam.