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.
An incident responder receives an alert that a workstation is beaconing to a known malicious IP address. The responder captures network traffic and analyzes it with Wireshark. Which of the following would be an immediate indicator of compromise (IoC) visible in the traffic capture?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Repeated connections to a known malicious IP address on a non-standard port
Option D is correct because repeated connections to a known malicious IP address on a non-standard port directly match the definition of a beaconing indicator of compromise (IoC). In network traffic analysis, beaconing is characterized by periodic, outbound connections to a command-and-control (C2) server, often using a non-standard port to evade detection. This pattern is a primary IoC in malware forensics and is immediately visible in Wireshark as a series of TCP SYN packets to the same IP and port at regular intervals.
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.
✗
Large file transfers during off-hours
Why it's wrong here
Large transfers may be suspicious but are not definitive indicators without context.
✗
ARP requests from unknown MAC addresses
Why it's wrong here
ARP requests are normal network operations; unknown MAC addresses may indicate a new device, not necessarily compromise.
✗
Encrypted payloads using TLS 1.3
Why it's wrong here
Encrypted traffic alone is not an IoC; many legitimate services use encryption.
✓
Repeated connections to a known malicious IP address on a non-standard port
Why this is correct
A known malicious IP is a clear IoC; repeated connections suggest beaconing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between a direct IoC (like beaconing to a known malicious IP) and secondary indicators (like large file transfers or ARP anomalies) that require additional context to confirm compromise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Beaconing traffic often uses a fixed interval (e.g., every 60 seconds) and a small, consistent packet size (e.g., 52–100 bytes) to maintain stealth, which can be identified in Wireshark using the 'I/O Graph' or 'Conversations' statistics. Malware may also use DNS tunneling or HTTP over non-standard ports (e.g., TCP 8080, 4444) to blend in, but the key forensic signature is the repetitive, periodic nature of the connections to a known-bad IP. In real-world incident response, tools like Wireshark's 'Follow TCP Stream' or 'Statistics > Endpoints' can quickly isolate such patterns.
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 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: Repeated connections to a known malicious IP address on a non-standard port — Option D is correct because repeated connections to a known malicious IP address on a non-standard port directly match the definition of a beaconing indicator of compromise (IoC). In network traffic analysis, beaconing is characterized by periodic, outbound connections to a command-and-control (C2) server, often using a non-standard port to evade detection. This pattern is a primary IoC in malware forensics and is immediately visible in Wireshark as a series of TCP SYN packets to the same IP and port at regular intervals.
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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