SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Several users on the same subnet report that their traffic to the default gateway is intermittently slow and sometimes reaches the wrong device. A packet capture shows ARP replies that map the gateway IP to a different MAC address. What attack is most likely occurring?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ARP spoofing, which poisons address resolution on the local network
ARP spoofing (also known as ARP poisoning) is the correct answer because the attacker sends forged ARP replies that associate the default gateway's IP address with the attacker's MAC address. This causes the victims' switches to update their ARP caches with the false mapping, so traffic destined for the gateway is instead sent to the attacker, leading to intermittent connectivity and misrouted packets. The symptoms—slow traffic and reaching the wrong device—are classic indicators of a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack via ARP cache poisoning.
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, which poisons address resolution on the local network
Why this is correct
ARP spoofing sends false ARP information so hosts associate the gateway IP with the attacker's MAC address.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
DNS amplification, which overwhelms the target with reflected DNS traffic
Why it's wrong here
DNS amplification is a denial-of-service technique and does not involve changing ARP mappings on a subnet.
✗
Replay attack, which resends captured authentication data
Why it's wrong here
Replay attacks reuse captured traffic, but they do not typically alter gateway MAC mappings.
✗
Port scanning, which probes hosts for open services and ports
Why it's wrong here
Port scanning is reconnaissance and would not explain incorrect ARP replies or gateway hijacking.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse ARP spoofing with DNS-based attacks (like DNS amplification) because both involve 'redirecting' traffic, but ARP spoofing operates at Layer 2 (MAC address manipulation) on the local subnet, while DNS amplification is a Layer 3/4 volumetric attack targeting external resolvers.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ARP spoofing works by exploiting the stateless nature of ARP—hosts accept unsolicited ARP replies without verifying the sender's legitimacy. The attacker sends gratuitous ARP packets that bind the gateway IP to their own MAC, causing all victim traffic to pass through the attacker's machine, where it can be intercepted or modified (MITM). In a real-world scenario, an attacker could use tools like `arpspoof` (from the dsniff suite) or `ettercap` to perform this attack, and it can be mitigated by enabling Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) on managed switches or using static ARP entries for critical gateways.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
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, which poisons address resolution on the local network — ARP spoofing (also known as ARP poisoning) is the correct answer because the attacker sends forged ARP replies that associate the default gateway's IP address with the attacker's MAC address. This causes the victims' switches to update their ARP caches with the false mapping, so traffic destined for the gateway is instead sent to the attacker, leading to intermittent connectivity and misrouted packets. The symptoms—slow traffic and reaching the wrong device—are classic indicators of a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack via ARP cache poisoning.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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