- A
ARP spoofing or poisoning is occurring on the local network.
The evidence fits ARP poisoning because an unauthorized MAC address is associating itself with trusted IP addresses such as the gateway and DNS server. Gratuitous ARP replies reinforce the cache manipulation and allow the attacker to redirect traffic at the layer 2 level. This is the classic setup for a local network spoofing attack.
- B
A man-in-the-middle interception is likely happening between clients and internal services.
If the attacker controls address resolution for the gateway and DNS server, client traffic can be forced through the malicious host. That positions the attacker to observe, relay, or modify traffic without immediate detection. The captured symptoms strongly indicate an active man-in-the-middle path rather than only a passive spoofing attempt.
- C
The network is experiencing a SYN flood against the gateway.
Why wrong: A SYN flood would show large volumes of half-open TCP sessions and connection-state exhaustion, not ARP cache manipulation. The evidence here is focused on layer 2 address association and forged replies, which does not match a denial-of-service pattern targeting TCP handshake resources.
- D
An external host is performing broad port scanning on public services.
Why wrong: Port scanning would appear as repeated connection attempts across many ports or hosts, usually from a source probing for open services. The symptoms here involve local broadcast behavior and cache poisoning, not enumeration of exposed TCP or UDP ports across the perimeter.
- E
A password-spraying campaign is targeting remote logins.
Why wrong: Password spraying would produce authentication failures and occasional successful logins, typically in logs from identity providers or VPN systems. It would not explain forged ARP replies or a changed MAC association for the gateway and DNS server. This is a different attack family entirely.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. 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 packet capture from a branch office shows the default gateway IP mapped to a MAC address that does not belong to the router. The same suspicious MAC also answers for the DNS server IP, and gratuitous ARP replies appear every 30 seconds. Which two attacks best match this evidence? Select two.
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
ARP spoofing or poisoning is occurring on the local network.
Option A is correct because the evidence shows the default gateway IP is mapped to a MAC address that does not belong to the router, and the same suspicious MAC also answers for the DNS server IP. This is a classic indicator of ARP spoofing or poisoning, where an attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC address with the IP addresses of critical network devices, such as the gateway and DNS server. Gratuitous ARP replies every 30 seconds further confirm an active ARP poisoning attack, as the attacker repeatedly broadcasts these unsolicited replies to maintain the poisoned ARP cache entries on victim hosts.
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.
- ✓
ARP spoofing or poisoning is occurring on the local network.
Why this is correct
The evidence fits ARP poisoning because an unauthorized MAC address is associating itself with trusted IP addresses such as the gateway and DNS server. Gratuitous ARP replies reinforce the cache manipulation and allow the attacker to redirect traffic at the layer 2 level. This is the classic setup for a local network spoofing attack.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
A man-in-the-middle interception is likely happening between clients and internal services.
Why this is correct
If the attacker controls address resolution for the gateway and DNS server, client traffic can be forced through the malicious host. That positions the attacker to observe, relay, or modify traffic without immediate detection. The captured symptoms strongly indicate an active man-in-the-middle path rather than only a passive spoofing attempt.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The network is experiencing a SYN flood against the gateway.
Why it's wrong here
A SYN flood would show large volumes of half-open TCP sessions and connection-state exhaustion, not ARP cache manipulation. The evidence here is focused on layer 2 address association and forged replies, which does not match a denial-of-service pattern targeting TCP handshake resources.
- ✗
An external host is performing broad port scanning on public services.
- ✗
A password-spraying campaign is targeting remote logins.
Why it's wrong here
Password spraying would produce authentication failures and occasional successful logins, typically in logs from identity providers or VPN systems. It would not explain forged ARP replies or a changed MAC association for the gateway and DNS server. This is a different attack family entirely.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse ARP spoofing with a SYN flood or other denial-of-service attacks, failing to recognize that the specific evidence of a mismatched MAC address and gratuitous ARP replies directly points to ARP cache poisoning, not a network-level flood.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
A SYN flood would show large volumes of half-open TCP sessions and connection-state exhaustion, not ARP cache manipulation. The evidence here is focused on layer 2 address association and forged replies, which does not match a denial-of-service pattern targeting TCP handshake resources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ARP spoofing exploits the stateless nature of ARP, where hosts accept unsolicited ARP replies without verification, as defined in RFC 826. An attacker can use tools like Ettercap or arpspoof to send gratuitous ARP replies, poisoning the ARP cache of all hosts on the local broadcast domain. This allows the attacker to intercept traffic between clients and the gateway or DNS server, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, data sniffing, or session hijacking.
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 security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
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.
- →
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SY0-701 questions
1,152 questions across all exam domains
- →
Security+ SY0-701 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SY0-701 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SY0-701 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
General Security Concepts practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to General Security Concepts.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations.
Security Architecture practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Architecture.
Security Operations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Operations.
Security Program Management and Oversight practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Program Management and Oversight.
Security+ social engineering questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ social engineering questions.
Security+ cryptography practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ cryptography.
Security+ IAM questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ IAM questions.
Security+ risk management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ risk management questions.
Security+ incident response questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ incident response questions.
Security+ malware questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ malware questions.
Security+ vulnerability management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ vulnerability management questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SY0-701 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ARP spoofing or poisoning is occurring on the local network. — Option A is correct because the evidence shows the default gateway IP is mapped to a MAC address that does not belong to the router, and the same suspicious MAC also answers for the DNS server IP. This is a classic indicator of ARP spoofing or poisoning, where an attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC address with the IP addresses of critical network devices, such as the gateway and DNS server. Gratuitous ARP replies every 30 seconds further confirm an active ARP poisoning attack, as the attacker repeatedly broadcasts these unsolicited replies to maintain the poisoned ARP cache entries on victim hosts.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SY0-701 practice questions
- An HR analyst must send a salary file to an external auditor. The auditor only needs names, departments, and salary tota…
- An investigator receives a suspect laptop drive that may be used in court. Which approach best supports a forensically s…
- An investigator must collect data from a suspected insider-threat laptop so the evidence could be used in an HR and lega…
- An NDR tool shows a production web server sending small, periodic DNS queries to random-looking subdomains under a domai…
- An investigator needs to make a forensic image of a suspect laptop without changing the original drive contents. Which t…
- An operations team manages Linux servers over SSH. The security team wants to stop direct management access from employe…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.