CEH Practice Question: Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of malware, social engineering and network attacks. 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.
During a penetration test, you run the tool 'macof' against a switch. After a few seconds, the switch starts flooding frames out all ports. Which attack have you successfully executed, and what is the primary goal of this technique?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
MAC flooding; to cause a switch to fail-open and act like a hub for sniffing
MAC flooding sends many fake MAC addresses to overflow the switch's CAM table, forcing it into hub mode so the attacker can sniff traffic. The other options describe different attacks.
Key principle: A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
MAC flooding; to cause a switch to fail-open and act like a hub for sniffing
Why this is correct
macof floods with random MACs to exhaust CAM table, enabling sniffing.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
✗
VLAN hopping; to gain access to a different VLAN
Why it's wrong here
VLAN hopping uses double tagging or switch spoofing, not MAC flooding.
✗
STP manipulation; to create a loop and cause a DoS
Why it's wrong here
STP attacks target Spanning Tree Protocol, not MAC addresses.
✗
ARP poisoning; to intercept traffic between two hosts
Why it's wrong here
ARP poisoning spoofs ARP replies, not MAC flooding.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
→Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
→Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
→Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
Key takeaway
A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related CEH questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — This question tests Malware, Social Engineering and Network Attacks — Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: MAC flooding; to cause a switch to fail-open and act like a hub for sniffing — MAC flooding sends many fake MAC addresses to overflow the switch's CAM table, forcing it into hub mode so the attacker can sniff traffic. The other options describe different attacks.
What should I do if I get this CEH question wrong?
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related CEH questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
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