CEH Practice Question: Advanced Topics: Wireless, Cloud, IoT, Cryptography
Which THREE of the following are common attack vectors against IoT devices?
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
✓
Insecure protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP without encryption)
Default credentials, insecure protocols (e.g., MQTT without TLS), and firmware reversing (to find hardcoded secrets) are common IoT attack vectors. TLS stripping is a network attack, and container escape is a cloud/container attack.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Container escape
Why it's wrong here
IoT devices are generally purpose-built embedded systems running lightweight operating systems or bare-metal firmware, not virtualized environments or container platforms like Docker or Kubernetes. Therefore, vulnerabilities specific to container isolation mechanisms, such as container escape, are not relevant attack vectors for the vast majority of IoT deployments, which lack the underlying container runtime infrastructure.
- ✓
Insecure protocols (e.g., MQTT, CoAP without encryption)
Why this is correct
Many IoT devices rely on lightweight communication protocols such as MQTT or CoAP, which frequently lack built-in encryption or robust authentication by default. This inherent insecurity allows attackers to easily eavesdrop on sensitive data transmissions, inject malicious commands, or spoof device identities through simple network sniffing. Such vulnerabilities directly compromise data confidentiality, device integrity, and command authenticity, making them prime targets for unauthorized access and control.
- ✓
Firmware reversing and extraction of hardcoded secrets
Why this is correct
Attackers frequently target IoT devices by physically extracting their firmware, often via JTAG, UART, or by desoldering memory chips, and then reverse engineering the binary using tools like Ghidra or IDA Pro. This meticulous process aims to uncover hardcoded credentials, cryptographic keys, API endpoints, or proprietary algorithms embedded within the code. Successfully extracting these secrets enables unauthorized access, intellectual property theft, or the discovery of deeper logical vulnerabilities for exploitation.
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TLS stripping attack
Why it's wrong here
TLS stripping is a man-in-the-middle attack specifically designed to downgrade an encrypted HTTPS connection to an unencrypted HTTP connection, typically targeting web browsers interacting with web servers. While some IoT devices might communicate with cloud services over HTTPS, this attack primarily exploits the browser's initial connection negotiation, not the direct communication protocols or embedded web servers within the IoT device itself. Consequently, it is not a common or direct attack vector against the device's core functionality or its specialized communication protocols.
- ✓
Default credentials
Why this is correct
Default credentials remain a primary IoT attack vector because manufacturers often ship devices with factory-set usernames and passwords that users fail to change, directly violating the security constraint of unique, per-device authentication. This enables attackers to gain unauthorised administrative access via simple credential-stuffing or brute-force scripts, exploiting the device’s unchanged default configuration.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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