100-160 Question 59
Select 3A network administrator notices a significant amount of unauthorized traffic on their network and suspects that attackers are exploiting a TCP/IP protocol vulnerability. Which of the following vulnerabilities could be responsible for this issue?
- A
TCP sequence number prediction
- B
IP spoofing
- C
Lack of encryption in standard TCP/IP
- D
Incorrect DNS resolution due to DNSSEC misconfiguration
- E
Use of strong authentication mechanisms in TCP
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, C
Explanation
TCP/IP was designed without inherent security mechanisms, which makes it vulnerable to several types of attacks. TCP sequence number prediction, IP spoofing, and the lack of encryption in standard TCP/IP are common vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit to compromise network traffic. Understanding these vulnerabilities is key to securing network environments.
- A. Correct.
TCP sequence number prediction is a known TCP/IP vulnerability where attackers can predict the sequence numbers used in TCP sessions, allowing them to hijack sessions or inject malicious data.
- B. Correct.
IP spoofing is a vulnerability within TCP/IP where attackers manipulate packet headers to impersonate another device, leading to unauthorized access or data interception.
- C. Correct.
Standard TCP/IP does not include encryption by default, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and data interception unless additional security mechanisms like TLS are used.
- D. Incorrect.
While DNSSEC misconfiguration can lead to DNS resolution issues, it is not directly related to TCP/IP protocol vulnerabilities.
- E. Incorrect.
Strong authentication mechanisms improve security and are not a vulnerability. In fact, they mitigate risks associated with TCP/IP.