CEH Enumeration and System Hacking Practice Question
During a penetration test, an analyst runs the command 'snmpwalk -v2c -c public 192.168.1.10' and receives a large amount of output. Which protocol and community string are being used?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the '-v2c' flag with SNMPv1 or assume 'public' is always read-only, but the question tests the direct mapping of command-line arguments to protocol version and community string.
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
✓
SNMPv2c with community string public
The command 'snmpwalk -v2c -c public 192.168.1.10' explicitly specifies SNMP version 2c with the '-v2c' flag and the community string 'public' with the '-c' flag. SNMPv2c is the most common version for read-only queries, and 'public' is the default read-only community string. The large output indicates successful enumeration of the MIB tree, confirming the community string is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SNMPv1 with community string public
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because the command's `-v2c` flag explicitly designates SNMP version 2c, not version 1. SNMPv1 utilizes a simpler protocol data unit (PDU) structure and lacks the enhanced capabilities and improved error handling found in later versions. Therefore, identifying the version as SNMPv1 contradicts the specified command-line argument.
- ✗
SNMPv1 with community string private
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect on two counts: the specified version and the community string. The `-v2c` flag clearly indicates SNMP version 2c, not version 1. Furthermore, the `-c public` flag explicitly sets the community string to 'public', directly contradicting the 'private' string mentioned, which would require a different flag or value.
- ✓
SNMPv2c with community string public
Why this is correct
This option is correct because the command's `-v2c` flag precisely identifies SNMP version 2c, which offers significant improvements over SNMPv1, including enhanced bulk data transfer and more detailed error messages. Concurrently, the `-c public` flag accurately specifies the community string as 'public', a widely known default often targeted by attackers for initial reconnaissance during penetration tests.
- ✗
SNMPv3 with user public
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect as the `-v2c` flag explicitly specifies SNMP version 2c, not version 3. SNMPv3 represents a major security upgrade, introducing user-based security models with authentication and encryption, fundamentally different from the community string mechanism used by SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c. Therefore, associating this command with SNMPv3 and a 'user public' is a misinterpretation of the flags and protocol versions.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CEH question is part of Courseiva's 870-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.