Quick Answer
The answer is rootkit installation. This is the correct covering tracks technique because the attacker replaces core system binaries like ps, ls, and netstat with trojaned versions that intercept system calls such as readdir() or filter /proc listings, effectively hiding malicious processes from standard monitoring tools. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this concept tests your understanding of how rootkits operate at the kernel or user-space level to conceal compromise, often appearing in questions that contrast rootkits with simpler log-clearing or file-hiding methods. A common trap is confusing rootkit installation with log manipulation—remember that rootkits actively modify system output rather than just deleting evidence. For a memory tip, think “rootkit replaces, logs erase”: if system binaries are swapped out, it’s rootkit installation, not mere log tampering.
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of enumeration and system hacking. 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 suspects an attacker has replaced system binaries with a rootkit to hide malicious processes. Which covering tracks technique is the attacker using?
Timestomping
Why wrong: Timestomping changes file timestamps, not the binaries themselves.
Steganography
Why wrong: Steganography hides data within other files, not replacing binaries.
Rootkit installation
Rootkits often replace system binaries to conceal their presence.
Log manipulation
Why wrong: Log manipulation alters log files, not system binaries.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Rootkit installation
The attacker is using rootkit installation to replace system binaries (e.g., ps, ls, netstat) with trojaned versions that filter out malicious processes from system calls like readdir() or /proc listings. This is a classic covering tracks technique because the rootkit hides evidence of compromise by intercepting and modifying kernel or user-space output, making the attacker's activities invisible to standard monitoring tools.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Timestomping
Why it's wrong here
Timestomping changes file timestamps, not the binaries themselves.
Steganography
Why it's wrong here
Steganography hides data within other files, not replacing binaries.
Rootkit installation
Why this is correct
Rootkits often replace system binaries to conceal their presence.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Log manipulation
Why it's wrong here
Log manipulation alters log files, not system binaries.
Common exam traps
EC-Council often tests the distinction between 'rootkit installation' as a covering tracks technique and 'log manipulation' as a separate method, trapping candidates who confuse hiding processes (rootkit) with hiding log entries (log manipulation).
Detailed technical explanation
Rootkits operate at kernel level (e.g., LKM rootkits like Adore-ng) or user level (e.g., LD_PRELOAD rootkits) to hook system calls such as sys_getdents64 or sys_kill, filtering out entries associated with malicious processes. In a real-world scenario, an attacker might use a rootkit like 'Mebromi' to infect the BIOS or 'ZeroAccess' to hide files and processes from Windows Task Manager and netstat, making detection reliant on memory forensics or integrity checkers like Tripwire.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Enumeration and System Hacking — This question tests Enumeration and System Hacking — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Rootkit installation — The attacker is using rootkit installation to replace system binaries (e.g., ps, ls, netstat) with trojaned versions that filter out malicious processes from system calls like readdir() or /proc listings. This is a classic covering tracks technique because the rootkit hides evidence of compromise by intercepting and modifying kernel or user-space output, making the attacker's activities invisible to standard monitoring tools.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A forensic analyst discovers that an attacker used a rootkit to hide malicious processes and files on a compromised Linux system. The rootkit also intercepts system calls to `open()` and `stat()` to return clean results. Which of the following techniques is the rootkit using to cover its tracks?
hardWhy C: The rootkit intercepts system calls like `open()` and `stat()` to return clean results, which is a classic example of syscall hooking. By hooking these kernel-level functions, the rootkit can filter out any information about its own malicious files and processes, making them invisible to userland commands such as `ls`, `ps`, or `cat`. This technique operates at the kernel level, not in user space, allowing it to control what data is returned to any process that makes those syscalls.
Variation 2. A security analyst is investigating a compromised Linux system. The /var/log/auth.log file appears to be truncated, and the timestamps on several binaries in /bin/ have been modified. Which of the following tools or techniques is the attacker MOST likely using to cover tracks?
hardWhy B: The attacker is most likely using a rootkit to cover tracks because rootkits are designed to hide malicious activity by intercepting system calls (e.g., via LD_PRELOAD or kernel modules) to hide processes, files, and network connections. The truncated auth.log and modified timestamps on binaries in /bin/ indicate the rootkit is actively tampering with system logs and file metadata to evade detection, which aligns with rootkit behavior rather than simpler tools.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.
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