During an internal penetration test, a tester is trying to identify live hosts on a network segment. The tester wants to avoid generating a high volume of traffic or alerts. Which scanning technique is most appropriate for this task?
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.
Distractor review
Full TCP connect scan on common ports
Full connect scans complete the three-way handshake, creating more traffic and being easily detected.
Distractor review
ICMP echo request sweep
ICMP echo requests are often blocked by firewalls or monitored, and they are not reliable in modern networks.
Distractor review
SYN stealth scan on port 80 and 443
SYN scans are stealthier than full connects but still generate TCP packets that can trigger alerts.
Best answer
ARP ping scan
ARP scans are local, low-traffic, and often not monitored, making them ideal for stealthy host discovery on the same subnet.
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
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
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: ARP ping scan — ARP ping scans are extremely efficient for discovering live hosts on a local subnet because they operate at Layer 2 and generate minimal traffic. They are also less likely to be logged by IDS/IPS because they do not involve TCP or UDP connections. Full TCP connect scans generate more traffic and are easily detected. ICMP echo requests may be blocked or filtered. SYN stealth scans are stealthy but still generate TCP traffic that can be monitored.
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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