- A
Deauthentication attack
Why wrong: A deauthentication attack disconnects clients from the AP.
- B
ARP spoofing
Why wrong: ARP spoofing is a Layer 2 attack, not a wireless attack.
- C
Evil twin attack
This is the correct term for a rogue AP impersonating a legitimate one.
- D
Karma attack
Why wrong: A Karma attack responds to probe requests from clients for preferred networks.
Question 5 of 1,000
CISSP Communication and Network Security Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of communication and network security. 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.
During a penetration test, an ethical hacker sets up a rogue access point with the same SSID as the corporate network and broadcasts a stronger signal. Users inadvertently connect to the rogue AP, allowing the hacker to capture credentials. What is this attack called?
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
✓
Evil twin attack
The correct answer is C, Evil twin attack. This attack involves setting up a rogue access point that broadcasts the same SSID as a legitimate corporate network but with a stronger signal, causing users to connect to it instead. Once connected, the attacker can capture credentials or other sensitive data through man-in-the-middle techniques, exploiting the lack of mutual authentication in many Wi-Fi implementations.
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.
- ✗
Deauthentication attack
Why it's wrong here
A deauthentication attack disconnects clients from the AP.
- ✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing is a Layer 2 attack, not a wireless attack.
- ✓
Evil twin attack
Why this is correct
This is the correct term for a rogue AP impersonating a legitimate one.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Karma attack
Why it's wrong here
A Karma attack responds to probe requests from clients for preferred networks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Evil twin' with 'Karma attack' because both involve rogue APs, but Karma attack specifically targets probe requests to impersonate any SSID the client has previously trusted, whereas an evil twin broadcasts a specific SSID to mimic a known network.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, an evil twin exploits the lack of 802.11 authentication verification; clients typically connect to the AP with the strongest signal for a given SSID without verifying the AP's identity. In real-world scenarios, attackers often combine this with a deauthentication attack to force clients off the legitimate AP, increasing the chance they'll connect to the evil twin. Tools like airbase-ng from the aircrack-ng suite are commonly used to create such rogue APs, and the attack can be mitigated using WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X and client-side certificate validation.
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 security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Communication and Network Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Communication and Network Security — This question tests Communication and Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Evil twin attack — The correct answer is C, Evil twin attack. This attack involves setting up a rogue access point that broadcasts the same SSID as a legitimate corporate network but with a stronger signal, causing users to connect to it instead. Once connected, the attacker can capture credentials or other sensitive data through man-in-the-middle techniques, exploiting the lack of mutual authentication in many Wi-Fi implementations.
What should I do if I get this CISSP 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.
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