The answer is an ARP spoofing attack. This is the correct choice because ARP spoofing involves an attacker sending forged ARP replies that map their own MAC address to multiple legitimate IP addresses on the network, causing traffic intended for those IPs to be misdirected to the attacker’s machine. When you see the same MAC appearing with different IPs in captured ARP packets, it is a classic indicator of an active ARP spoofing attack, as the attacker’s network interface is impersonating several hosts simultaneously. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish ARP spoofing from other attacks like evil twin or DHCP starvation; a common trap is confusing it with an evil twin, but remember that evil twin involves a rogue wireless access point, not ARP-level address conflicts. For a quick memory tip, think “one MAC, many IPs = spoofed ARP trips.”
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 network traffic and sees multiple ARP packets with the same source MAC address but different IP 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ARP spoofing attack
An evil twin attack involves a rogue AP impersonating a legitimate one, but it does not typically cause ARP packets with varied IPs. ARP spoofing involves an attacker sending forged ARP replies to associate their MAC with another IP, causing traffic to be misdirected. The described behavior matches ARP spoofing, where the attacker's MAC appears with multiple IPs.
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.
✗
WPS PIN attack
Why it's wrong here
WPS PIN attacks target the WPS protocol to recover the PIN, not ARP packets.
✗
De-authentication attack
Why it's wrong here
De-authentication attacks send disassociate packets to disconnect clients from an AP, not ARP packets.
✗
Evil twin attack
Why it's wrong here
An evil twin is a rogue AP that mimics a legitimate one, not ARP manipulation.
✓
ARP spoofing attack
Why this is correct
The attacker sends forged ARP replies, linking their MAC to multiple IPs to intercept traffic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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: ARP spoofing attack — An evil twin attack involves a rogue AP impersonating a legitimate one, but it does not typically cause ARP packets with varied IPs. ARP spoofing involves an attacker sending forged ARP replies to associate their MAC with another IP, causing traffic to be misdirected. The described behavior matches ARP spoofing, where the attacker's MAC appears with multiple IPs.
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.
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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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