CEH Ping Flood Practice Question
A security analyst receives an alert indicating that a host on the internal network is sending a high volume of ICMP echo requests to multiple external IP addresses. The analyst notices that the source IP address is spoofed. Which type of attack is MOST likely occurring?
⚠ Common exam trap
In EC-CEH, candidates often confuse Smurf and Ping flood attacks. The key difference is that Smurf uses a broadcast address for amplification, while Ping flood sends traffic directly to targets. Since the scenario mentions spoofed ICMP echo requests to multiple external IPs without broadcast, it is a Ping flood.
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
✓
Ping flood
The attack described is a Ping flood (option D). A Ping flood involves sending a high volume of ICMP echo requests (pings) directly to multiple target IP addresses, often with a spoofed source IP to hide the attacker's identity. This overwhelms the targets' network resources. Unlike a Smurf attack, which uses a network broadcast address to amplify traffic, this scenario shows direct flooding of multiple external IPs, characteristic of a Ping flood.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Fraggle attack
Why it's wrong here
Fraggle attack is similar to Smurf but uses UDP packets instead of ICMP; not matching the ICMP echo requests.
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ICMP flood
Why it's wrong here
ICMP flood is a generic term that could include various ICMP types, but the specific use of echo requests with spoofed source directly to multiple targets is best described as a Ping flood.
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Smurf attack
Why it's wrong here
Smurf attack involves sending ICMP echo requests to a network's broadcast address with a spoofed source, causing all hosts to reply to the victim. The scenario lacks a broadcast address and involves multiple external targets, so it is not a Smurf attack.
- ✓
Ping flood
Why this is correct
Correct. Ping flood sends high volumes of ICMP echo requests directly to targets, often with spoofed source IPs, matching the alert.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CEH practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CEH exam.