CEH Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning Practice Question
Which Google dork query would an attacker most likely use to find login pages on a web server?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'inurl:admin' with login page discovery, but 'admin' in the URL typically points to administrative backends rather than user login portals, which are more commonly identified by the title tag containing 'login'.
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
✓
intitle:login
The Google dork 'intitle:login' specifically searches for web pages where the word 'login' appears in the HTML title tag. Attackers use this to quickly discover login portals, as many web applications include 'login' in the page title, making it a reliable footprinting technique for identifying authentication interfaces.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
inurl:admin
Why it's wrong here
While inurl:admin effectively identifies URLs containing the string "admin", it is too broad for specifically targeting login pages. This query could return a multitude of results such as administrative documentation, public-facing "about us" pages with "admin" in the URL path, or even image directories, rather than direct authentication portals. An attacker seeking login pages requires a more precise indicator of an interactive authentication form.
- ✓
intitle:login
Why this is correct
The intitle:login Google Dork is highly effective for pinpointing potential login pages because web developers commonly include "login" or "sign in" within the HTML <title> tag of authentication portals. This query directly targets the descriptive title of a page, significantly increasing the likelihood of identifying an actual user authentication interface rather than general administrative content or unrelated pages. It provides a direct indicator of a page designed for user credential submission.
- ✗
site:example.com filetype:pdf
Why it's wrong here
The query site:example.com filetype:pdf is designed to restrict search results exclusively to PDF documents hosted on a specific domain, example.com. This command is useful for discovering sensitive documents, reports, or manuals, but it explicitly filters for a file type that is inherently static and non-interactive, making it entirely unsuitable for locating dynamic web pages such as login forms. It serves a completely different reconnaissance objective.
- ✗
link:example.com
Why it's wrong here
The link:example.com operator is used to identify web pages that contain hyperlinks pointing to example.com. This dork is primarily employed for backlink analysis, competitive intelligence, or understanding a site's external references, rather than content discovery on the target site itself. It provides no direct or indirect indication of a login page's existence or location, as it focuses on inbound links from other domains.
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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.