CEH Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning Practice Question
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of footprinting, reconnaissance and scanning. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 penetration tester receives the following output from a tool: 'Starting dnsrecon.py -d example.com -t axfr' and then a list of all DNS records. Which of the following BEST describes what occurred?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A successful DNS zone transfer was performed, revealing all DNS records for the domain
The output shows the dnsrecon tool being run with the '-t axfr' option, which specifically requests a DNS zone transfer (AXFR). A zone transfer is a mechanism for replicating DNS databases across DNS servers, and if misconfigured, it allows an attacker to retrieve all DNS records for a domain. The successful listing of all DNS records confirms that the zone transfer was permitted by the target's DNS server, revealing the entire DNS zone.
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.
✗
A DNSSEC validation check was completed
Why it's wrong here
DNSSEC validation checks signatures, not zone transfers. AXFR is unrelated to DNSSEC.
✓
A successful DNS zone transfer was performed, revealing all DNS records for the domain
Why this is correct
AXFR is the zone transfer request. If the server is misconfigured, it returns all records. The output shows the result of a successful transfer.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A DNS cache snooping attack was executed
Why it's wrong here
DNS cache snooping involves querying a recursive resolver to determine if a domain is cached, not a full zone transfer.
✗
A reverse DNS lookup was performed to find domain names from IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
Reverse DNS lookup is done with PTR records, not AXFR. dnsrecon's -t axfr specifically requests a zone transfer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the '-t axfr' zone transfer flag with other DNS reconnaissance techniques like cache snooping or DNSSEC validation, but the key indicator is the explicit request for a full zone transfer and the resulting complete list of DNS records.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DNS zone transfers (AXFR) are defined in RFC 1034 and 1035 and are intended for replication between authoritative DNS servers. When a DNS server is misconfigured to allow AXFR from any host, it exposes the entire zone file, including internal hostnames, IP addresses, and service records (SRV, MX, TXT). Tools like dnsrecon automate this by sending a specially crafted AXFR request; a successful response returns all resource records in the zone, which is a critical information-gathering step in penetration testing.
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 administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning — This question tests Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A successful DNS zone transfer was performed, revealing all DNS records for the domain — The output shows the dnsrecon tool being run with the '-t axfr' option, which specifically requests a DNS zone transfer (AXFR). A zone transfer is a mechanism for replicating DNS databases across DNS servers, and if misconfigured, it allows an attacker to retrieve all DNS records for a domain. The successful listing of all DNS records confirms that the zone transfer was permitted by the target's DNS server, revealing the entire DNS zone.
What should I do if I get this CEH 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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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