SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
A network administrator notices that legitimate clients are unable to obtain IP addresses from the DHCP server. The network logs show a high volume of DHCP Discover messages from different MAC addresses. Which attack is most likely occurring?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing starvation with spoofing — both involve DHCP and an attacker, but starvation exhausts the pool (denial of service) while spoofing redirects clients to a rogue server (MITM); the 'high volume of Discover from different MACs' clue points to starvation.
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
✓
DHCP starvation
DHCP starvation occurs when an attacker floods the DHCP server with Discover requests using spoofed MAC addresses, exhausting the DHCP address pool. Legitimate clients then cannot obtain leases because the server has no available IPs to offer. The high volume of Discover messages from many different MAC addresses is the signature of this attack.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
DHCP starvation
Why this is correct
DHCP starvation floods the server with Discover messages using spoofed source MAC addresses, exhausting the available address pool. Legitimate clients then receive no offer, matching the observed high volume of Discover traffic from many different MAC addresses.
- ✗
DHCP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
DHCP spoofing involves a rogue server answering clients with false leases, so clients receive incorrect gateway or DNS settings rather than exhausting the pool. It is the right answer when clients obtain addresses but cannot reach network resources.
- ✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing poisons IP-to-MAC mappings to intercept or redirect traffic; it does not flood a DHCP server with Discover messages or deplete its address pool. It applies when traffic is silently redirected after addressing succeeds, not when clients fail to obtain leases.
- ✗
DNS amplification
Why it's wrong here
DNS amplification floods a victim with large DNS responses, exhausting bandwidth rather than DHCP address pools; it never generates Discover messages. It is tempting because it is a volumetric denial-of-service technique, and it would be the answer if the logs showed a target overwhelmed by spoofed DNS reply traffic.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 971 original SSCP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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 September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.