CPENT Network And Perimeter Exploitation Practice Question
An internal penetration tester needs to scan a local subnet for live hosts quickly and quietly without sending TCP or UDP port traffic. Which TWO methods rely on network layer protocols other than TCP port scanning for host discovery? (Choose TWO)
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
✓
ARP ping discovery (-PR)
ICMP Echo requests (-PE) and ARP ping scans (-PR) use ICMP and ARP protocols respectively to find live hosts without touching TCP ports.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TCP Connect scan (-sT)
Why it's wrong here
TCP connect scanning establishes full TCP connections.
- ✗
TCP SYN port scan (-sS)
Why it's wrong here
TCP SYN scanning targets TCP ports directly.
- ✗
UDP port scan (-sU)
Why it's wrong here
UDP scanning queries UDP ports.
- ✓
ARP ping discovery (-PR)
Why this is correct
ARP pings query local MAC addresses directly to discover live hosts on the local subnet.
- ✓
ICMP Echo request ping (-PE)
Why this is correct
ICMP echo pings check for live hosts using ICMP protocol packets.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CPENT question from scratch — 274 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CPENT practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CPENT exam.