SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
An attacker sends a gratuitous ARP reply associating the attacker's MAC address with the default gateway's IP address. Which attack is being performed, and what is the primary risk?
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 spoofing; risk is man-in-the-middle traffic interception.
ARP spoofing allows the attacker to intercept traffic meant for the gateway, performing a man-in-the-middle 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.
- ✗
DNS poisoning; risk is traffic redirection to malicious sites.
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning corrupts DNS caches, not ARP tables.
- ✗
DHCP starvation; risk is denial of service.
Why it's wrong here
DHCP starvation exhausts IP addresses, not ARP manipulation.
- ✗
SYN flood; risk is resource exhaustion.
Why it's wrong here
SYN flood targets TCP handshake, not ARP.
- ✓
ARP spoofing; risk is man-in-the-middle traffic interception.
Why this is correct
The attacker positions themselves between the victim and gateway.
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
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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. An attacker sends a forged ARP reply associating the attacker's MAC address with the IP address of the default gateway. What type of attack is this?
medium- ✓ A.ARP spoofing
- B.MAC flooding
- C.DHCP starvation
- D.DNS poisoning
Why A: ARP spoofing involves sending gratuitous ARP replies to associate the attacker's MAC with another IP address, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks at Layer 2.
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.