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 THREE of the following are correct statements about DNS zone transfers?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A successful zone transfer reveals all DNS records for the domain
A successful DNS zone transfer (AXFR) returns the complete zone file, which contains all DNS records for the domain, including A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, and TXT records. This is why it is a critical information-gathering step during reconnaissance.
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.
✓
A successful zone transfer reveals all DNS records for the domain
Why this is correct
Zone transfers provide a complete copy of the zone data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
The tool dnsrecon can attempt a zone transfer
Why this is correct
dnsrecon has a zone transfer check feature.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Zone transfers are encrypted by default
Why it's wrong here
Standard zone transfers are not encrypted; TSIG can be used for authentication.
✓
Zone transfers should be restricted to authorized secondary DNS servers
Why this is correct
This is a security best practice.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse DNS query transport (UDP 53) with zone transfer transport (TCP 53), and assume zone transfers are encrypted by default when they are not.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Zone transfers are initiated using the AXFR query type over TCP port 53, as UDP cannot handle the packet size and reliability needed for full zone replication. The secondary DNS server sends an AXFR request, and the primary responds with the entire zone in multiple TCP segments. Misconfigured servers that allow unrestricted AXFR are a common security flaw, leaking all domain records to attackers.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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: A successful zone transfer reveals all DNS records for the domain — A successful DNS zone transfer (AXFR) returns the complete zone file, which contains all DNS records for the domain, including A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, and TXT records. This is why it is a critical information-gathering step during reconnaissance.
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.
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Question Discussion
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