The answer is the CRL published by the online issuing CA. This is correct because in a two-tier PKI hierarchy, only the CA that issued the certificate holds the authority to revoke it and update its own Certificate Revocation List (CRL). The compromised certificate’s CRL Distribution Point (CDP) extension points directly to the online issuing CA’s CRL, not the offline root CA, so clients validating the certificate will check that specific location for revocation status. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this tests your understanding of PKI trust models and the practical separation of roles between offline root and online issuing CAs—a common trap is assuming the root CA must handle all revocation, but the root only signs the issuing CA’s certificate, not end-entity certificates. Remember the memory tip: “Issuer revokes issuer” — the CA that issued the certificate is the only one that can update its CRL.
CEH Cryptography and Malware Analysis Practice Question
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of cryptography and malware analysis. 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 company's internal PKI uses an offline root CA and an online issuing CA. A security engineer needs to revoke a compromised certificate issued by the online CA. Which CRL distribution point should the engineer update?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The CRL published by the online issuing CA
The compromised certificate was issued by the online issuing CA, so only that CA has the authority to revoke it and publish the updated CRL. Clients validating the certificate will check the CRL distribution point (CDP) embedded in the certificate, which points to the issuing CA's CRL. Updating the CRL on the online issuing CA ensures that revocation status is immediately available to relying parties.
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.
✗
The CRL published by the certificate authority that signed the issuing CA's certificate
Why it's wrong here
That is the root CA, which does not issue end-entity certs.
✗
The CRL published by the intermediate CA, if any
Why it's wrong here
There is no intermediate mentioned; the online CA is the issuing CA.
✓
The CRL published by the online issuing CA
Why this is correct
The issuing CA is responsible for revoking certificates it issued.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The CRL published by the offline root CA
Why it's wrong here
The root CA does not issue end-entity certificates.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
EC-Council often tests the misconception that the root CA must be involved in revocation of end-entity certificates, but in reality only the issuing CA that signed the certificate can revoke it and update its own CRL.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a PKI hierarchy, each CA maintains its own Certificate Revocation List (CRL) as defined in RFC 5280. The CRL Distribution Point (CDP) extension in an end-entity certificate contains URLs pointing to the CRL of the CA that issued that certificate. When a certificate is revoked, the issuing CA must generate a new CRL with the revoked certificate's serial number and update the CRL at the published distribution point. The offline root CA's CRL would only list revoked subordinate CA certificates, not end-entity certificates, because the root CA never directly issues end-entity certificates.
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 practitioner preparing for the CEH exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Cryptography and Malware Analysis — This question tests Cryptography and Malware Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The CRL published by the online issuing CA — The compromised certificate was issued by the online issuing CA, so only that CA has the authority to revoke it and publish the updated CRL. Clients validating the certificate will check the CRL distribution point (CDP) embedded in the certificate, which points to the issuing CA's CRL. Updating the CRL on the online issuing CA ensures that revocation status is immediately available to relying parties.
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.
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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