The correct answer is to set up a rogue access point broadcasting a WPA2 network with the same SSID, forcing the client to reconnect using WPA2. This works because WPA3-Personal includes a backward-compatibility feature that allows clients to fall back to WPA2 when the access point only supports the older protocol, a design choice that prioritizes connectivity over security. On the Certified Ethical Hacker CEH exam, this attack tests your understanding of wireless downgrade vectors and the transition mode between WPA3 and WPA2, often appearing in questions about capturing handshakes when a mixed-mode environment exists. A common trap is assuming WPA3 clients will refuse to connect to a WPA2-only network, but in practice, they will downgrade if the same SSID is present. Remember the memory tip: “Same SSID, weaker cipher — the client will slip and deliver the handshake.”
CEH Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security Practice Question
This CEH practice question tests your understanding of wireless, iot and cloud security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
During a penetration test of a corporate wireless network, you capture a WPA2 handshake and successfully recover the PSK. Later, you notice that some clients are using WPA3-Personal. Which attack could be used to downgrade a WPA3 client to WPA2 and capture its handshake?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set up a rogue access point broadcasting a WPA2 network with the same SSID, forcing the client to reconnect using WPA2.
Option D is correct because WPA3 clients are designed to fall back to WPA2 when the access point only supports WPA2. By setting up a rogue AP with the same SSID but configured for WPA2, the client will attempt to connect using WPA2, allowing you to capture the 4-way handshake and potentially recover the PSK if the same password is used for both security modes.
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.
✗
Perform a PMKID attack on the WPA3 client to capture the handshake.
Send deauthentication packets to the WPA3 client and capture the reconnection handshake.
Why it's wrong here
Deauth alone does not downgrade.
✓
Set up a rogue access point broadcasting a WPA2 network with the same SSID, forcing the client to reconnect using WPA2.
Why this is correct
Rogue AP can entice client to downgrade.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
EC-Council often tests the misconception that deauthentication alone can force a protocol downgrade, but in WPA3, deauthentication only triggers a reconnection using the same security protocol unless the AP changes its capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
WPA3-Personal uses Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) handshake, which is resistant to offline dictionary attacks, but many clients implement a transition mode where they will connect to a WPA2 network with the same SSID if WPA3 is unavailable. The attack exploits this by creating a rogue AP that only offers WPA2, causing the client to perform a 4-way handshake that can be captured and cracked offline if the PSK is shared between the two modes. In real-world scenarios, enterprise networks often use the same passphrase for both WPA2 and WPA3 to maintain backward compatibility, making this downgrade attack effective.
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 network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CEH question in full detail.
Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security — This question tests Wireless, IoT and Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set up a rogue access point broadcasting a WPA2 network with the same SSID, forcing the client to reconnect using WPA2. — Option D is correct because WPA3 clients are designed to fall back to WPA2 when the access point only supports WPA2. By setting up a rogue AP with the same SSID but configured for WPA2, the client will attempt to connect using WPA2, allowing you to capture the 4-way handshake and potentially recover the PSK if the same password is used for both security modes.
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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