This CEH practice question tests your understanding of malware, social engineering and network attacks. 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.
A security administrator notices that the network switch is broadcasting traffic to all ports as if it were a hub. The switch logs show a sudden flood of packets with random MAC addresses. Which 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.
SYN flood
Why wrong: SYN flood targets TCP connections, not switch behavior.
MAC flooding
MAC flooding overwhelms the switch's CAM table, causing it to operate in hub mode.
ARP poisoning
Why wrong: ARP poisoning manipulates ARP tables, not switch CAM tables.
DNS amplification
Why wrong: DNS amplification is a DDoS technique that exploits DNS servers, not a switch attack.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
MAC flooding
MAC flooding attacks send many frames with different source MAC addresses, overflowing the switch's CAM table. The switch then fails to learn MAC addresses and broadcasts frames to all ports.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
SYN flood
Why it's wrong here
SYN flood targets TCP connections, not switch behavior.
MAC flooding
Why this is correct
MAC flooding overwhelms the switch's CAM table, causing it to operate in hub mode.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
ARP poisoning
Why it's wrong here
ARP poisoning manipulates ARP tables, not switch CAM tables.
DNS amplification
Why it's wrong here
DNS amplification is a DDoS technique that exploits DNS servers, not a switch attack.
Common exam traps
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related CEH subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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FAQ
Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — This question tests Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
The correct answer is: MAC flooding — MAC flooding attacks send many frames with different source MAC addresses, overflowing the switch's CAM table. The switch then fails to learn MAC addresses and broadcasts frames to all ports.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related CEH subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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