easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: A small business uses MAC address filtering on…
A small business uses MAC address filtering on its wireless network to prevent unauthorized access. Which attack is most likely to bypass this control?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse MAC spoofing with deauthentication attacks, thinking that disconnecting a client is the primary method to bypass filtering, when in fact the attacker must spoof the allowed MAC to actually authenticate and gain network access.
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
✓
MAC spoofing
MAC address filtering is a weak access control because MAC addresses are transmitted in plaintext over the air and can be easily captured using a wireless sniffer (e.g., Wireshark). An attacker can then change their network interface's MAC address to match an allowed client via MAC spoofing, thereby bypassing the filter and gaining access to the network. This attack directly defeats the filtering mechanism without needing to crack encryption keys or impersonate the access point.
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
Deauth disrupts connections but does not grant access.
- ✗
Man-in-the-middle attack
Why it's wrong here
MITM requires being associated first.
- ✗
Evil twin attack
Why it's wrong here
Evil twin tricks clients, but MAC filtering still blocks unless MAC is spoofed.
- ✓
MAC spoofing
Why this is correct
An attacker can capture a valid MAC and use it to connect.
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
This SSCP question is part of Courseiva's 920-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.