CHFI Mobile and Malware Forensics Practice Question
This CHFI practice question tests your understanding of mobile and malware forensics. 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.
After a factory reset on an Android device, a forensic examiner attempts to recover user data. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the recoverability of data?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Some user data may be recoverable from the /data partition if it has not been overwritten
A factory reset on Android typically performs a fast format of the /data partition, which only erases the file system metadata (e.g., ext4 journal and inode tables) but does not overwrite the actual data blocks. Therefore, user data may remain on the flash storage and be recoverable using forensic tools until those blocks are overwritten by new writes. This is why option A is correct: some user data may be recoverable from the /data partition if it has not been overwritten.
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.
✓
Some user data may be recoverable from the /data partition if it has not been overwritten
Why this is correct
Factory reset does not overwrite all blocks, so data may persist and be recoverable.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Data in /data/data/ is securely wiped using TRIM commands, making recovery impossible
Why it's wrong here
TRIM may help but does not guarantee secure erasure; recovery may still be possible.
✗
All user data is permanently destroyed and cannot be recovered
Why it's wrong here
Factory reset often only removes file system references; data may remain until overwritten.
✗
Only Google account tokens are recoverable after a factory reset
Why it's wrong here
Other user data may also be recoverable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that a factory reset performs a full secure wipe, when in reality it only removes file system pointers and does not overwrite the underlying data, making recovery possible until overwritten.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Android uses ext4 or F2FS on the /data partition, and a factory reset invokes `vdc volume reset` or `make_ext4fs` to recreate the file system without zeroing blocks. The eMMC TRIM command (ATA DATA SET MANAGEMENT) only hints the controller to prepare blocks for erasure, but the actual physical erase depends on the controller's garbage collection policy, which may leave data accessible via chip-off or JTAG forensics. In real-world scenarios, examiners often recover deleted contacts, messages, and app data from unallocated space using tools like Cellebrite or Oxygen Forensic Detective.
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 practitioner preparing for the CHFI exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CHFI question in full detail.
Mobile and Malware Forensics — This question tests Mobile and Malware Forensics — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Some user data may be recoverable from the /data partition if it has not been overwritten — A factory reset on Android typically performs a fast format of the /data partition, which only erases the file system metadata (e.g., ext4 journal and inode tables) but does not overwrite the actual data blocks. Therefore, user data may remain on the flash storage and be recoverable using forensic tools until those blocks are overwritten by new writes. This is why option A is correct: some user data may be recoverable from the /data partition if it has not been overwritten.
What should I do if I get this CHFI 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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