The answer is a dictionary attack on the 4-way handshake. This is correct because aircrack-ng compares each word from the provided wordlist against the captured WPA2 handshake to find the pre-shared key (PSK), which is exactly how a dictionary attack works—it tests likely passwords rather than every possible combination. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between a dictionary attack and a brute-force attack; the key clue is the use of a wordlist, which indicates a dictionary attack, not brute force (which would try all character combinations without a list). A common trap is confusing this with a rainbow table attack, but rainbow tables are precomputed for hash chains, not for the WPA2 handshake’s unique nonce and MAC values. Memory tip: “Wordlist equals dictionary; no list equals brute force.”
CEH Practice Question: Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of advanced topics: wireless, cloud, iot, cryptography. 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 security analyst captures WPA2 handshake packets using airodump-ng and then runs aircrack-ng with a wordlist. After several minutes, aircrack-ng reports 'KEY FOUND!' followed by a hex string. Which attack was successfully performed?
Aircrack-ng compares each word in the wordlist against the handshake's PMKID/PTK to find the passphrase.
B
Hash length extension attack on the MIC
Why wrong: Hash length extension exploits Merkle-Damgård hashes; the MIC is computed using HMAC-SHA1 which is not vulnerable to length extension in this context.
C
Rainbow table attack on the WPA2 handshake
Why wrong: Rainbow tables precompute hash chains; WPA2 uses a salted PBKDF2 key derivation making rainbow tables impractical.
D
Brute-force attack against the PSK
Why wrong: Brute-force would try all possible keys, not rely on a precompiled wordlist. Aircrack-ng with a wordlist is dictionary-based.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Dictionary attack on the 4-way handshake
The analyst captured the 4-way handshake and used a dictionary attack (wordlist) to recover the PSK. This is a dictionary attack, not brute force (which tries all combinations), rainbow table, or hash length extension (which is for hash-based MACs).
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Dictionary attack on the 4-way handshake
Why this is correct
Aircrack-ng compares each word in the wordlist against the handshake's PMKID/PTK to find the passphrase.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Hash length extension attack on the MIC
Why it's wrong here
Hash length extension exploits Merkle-Damgård hashes; the MIC is computed using HMAC-SHA1 which is not vulnerable to length extension in this context.
✗
Rainbow table attack on the WPA2 handshake
Why it's wrong here
Rainbow tables precompute hash chains; WPA2 uses a salted PBKDF2 key derivation making rainbow tables impractical.
✗
Brute-force attack against the PSK
Why it's wrong here
Brute-force would try all possible keys, not rely on a precompiled wordlist. Aircrack-ng with a wordlist is dictionary-based.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CEH NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography — This question tests Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Dictionary attack on the 4-way handshake — The analyst captured the 4-way handshake and used a dictionary attack (wordlist) to recover the PSK. This is a dictionary attack, not brute force (which tries all combinations), rainbow table, or hash length extension (which is for hash-based MACs).
What should I do if I get this CEH question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CEH NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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