The answer is inurl:"admin" inurl:"login". This Google dork is correct because it uses the `inurl:` operator twice to filter search results for pages where both the terms 'admin' and 'login' appear in the URL, which is a common pattern for administrative authentication portals. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this tests your understanding of Google hacking techniques for reconnaissance, specifically how to locate sensitive interfaces without relying on site-specific searches. A common trap is using a single operator like `inurl:admin login`, which would search for the word 'login' anywhere on the page, not just in the URL, leading to less precise results. The key distinction is that each `inurl:` operator must be paired with its own quoted term to enforce the URL-only constraint. For a memory tip, think of it as a double lock: you need both 'admin' and 'login' in the web address to find the door, so use two `inurl:` keys.
CEH Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning Practice Question
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of footprinting, reconnaissance and scanning. 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.
Which Google dork would a penetration tester use to find login pages of websites that have 'admin' in the URL?
Why wrong: site: restricts to a specific domain, not a URL pattern.
B
filetype:pdf admin login
Why wrong: This would find PDF files containing the words admin and login, not web login pages.
C
intitle:"login" inurl:admin
Why wrong: intitle searches page titles, not URLs. This would find pages with 'login' in title and 'admin' in URL, not specifically login pages with 'admin' in URL.
D
inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"
inurl:admin finds URLs containing 'admin', and inurl:login finds URLs containing 'login'. Combined, they find login pages with 'admin' in the URL.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"
Option D is correct because the Google dork `inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"` specifically searches for pages where both 'admin' and 'login' appear in the URL. This is a precise way to find login pages on administrative interfaces, as it targets URLs containing both terms, which is a common pattern for admin login portals.
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.
✗
site:admin login
Why it's wrong here
site: restricts to a specific domain, not a URL pattern.
✗
filetype:pdf admin login
Why it's wrong here
This would find PDF files containing the words admin and login, not web login pages.
✗
intitle:"login" inurl:admin
Why it's wrong here
intitle searches page titles, not URLs. This would find pages with 'login' in title and 'admin' in URL, not specifically login pages with 'admin' in URL.
✓
inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"
Why this is correct
inurl:admin finds URLs containing 'admin', and inurl:login finds URLs containing 'login'. Combined, they find login pages with 'admin' in the URL.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose `intitle:"login" inurl:admin` (Option C) thinking it's more comprehensive, but they overlook that many admin login pages do not have 'login' in the HTML title tag, making the `intitle:` operator too restrictive for this specific goal.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Google dorks leverage advanced search operators that interact with Google's index via HTTP GET parameters; for example, `inurl:` matches the literal string in the URL path and query string. In real-world reconnaissance, combining multiple `inurl:` operators with `intitle:` or `filetype:` can narrow results to specific technologies (e.g., `inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"` often finds WordPress or custom CMS admin panels), but over-reliance on title-based searches can miss pages where the title is generic (e.g., 'My Site').
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning — This question tests Footprinting, Reconnaissance and Scanning — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: inurl:"admin" inurl:"login" — Option D is correct because the Google dork `inurl:"admin" inurl:"login"` specifically searches for pages where both 'admin' and 'login' appear in the URL. This is a precise way to find login pages on administrative interfaces, as it targets URLs containing both terms, which is a common pattern for admin login portals.
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.
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 →
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. Which Google dork would a penetration tester use to find login pages that are indexed by Google?
medium
A.filetype:xls username password
B.intitle:"index of"
✓ C.inurl:login
D.site:example.com intext:password
Why C: Option C is correct because the Google dork 'inurl:login' specifically searches for URLs containing the word 'login', which commonly appear in login page paths (e.g., /login.php, /login.aspx). This allows a penetration tester to quickly identify indexed login portals for further reconnaissance, such as testing for default credentials or brute-force attacks.
Variation 2. While performing reconnaissance, a tester uses a Google dork to find login pages exposed on the internet. Which of the following is an example of a Google dork that could be used for this purpose?
medium
✓ A.inurl:login.php
B.site:example.com -www
C.filetype:pdf
D.link:example.com
Why A: Option A is correct because the Google dork 'inurl:login.php' instructs Google to return only URLs that contain the string 'login.php' in the URL path. This is a classic reconnaissance technique to discover exposed login pages, as many web applications use 'login.php' as the default authentication endpoint. The 'inurl:' operator filters search results based on the literal text in the URL, making it ideal for footprinting specific web resources.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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