SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
A security analyst is investigating a network where an attacker successfully redirected traffic from a legitimate web server to a malicious server by corrupting the target domain's DNS records in a local resolver cache. Which attack technique was used?
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
✓
DNS poisoning
DNS poisoning injects false DNS records into a resolver's cache, redirecting traffic to malicious sites.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SYN flood
Why it's wrong here
SYN flood is a DoS attack exhausting TCP connections.
- ✓
DNS poisoning
Why this is correct
DNS poisoning corrupts DNS cache to redirect traffic.
- ✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing targets IP-MAC mapping, not DNS.
- ✗
Smurf attack
Why it's wrong here
Smurf attack uses ICMP broadcast amplification.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SSCP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security analyst discovers that an internal DNS server is returning incorrect IP addresses for legitimate domains. The analyst suspects that an attacker has compromised the DNS resolver's cache. Which type of attack has likely occurred?
hard- A.DNS amplification attack
- B.SYN flood
- C.DNS tunneling
- ✓ D.DNS poisoning
Why D: DNS poisoning involves inserting false DNS records into a resolver's cache, redirecting users to malicious sites.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.