312-50v13 Exam Dumps - Certified Ethical Hacker Exam (CEHv13)

DNS hijacking occurs when attackers manipulate DNS responses to redirect traffic to malicious servers. CEH v13 clearly identifies DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) as the primary defense against such attacks.

DNSSEC adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records, enabling clients to verify authenticity and integrity of DNS responses. Without DNSSEC, attackers can spoof DNS responses even if servers are fully patched.

Changing IP addresses and using LAMP do not address DNS trust. Patching is essential but does not prevent DNS spoofing.

CEH v13 explicitly recommends DNSSEC for preventing cache poisoning and DNS hijacking attacks, making Option C the correct answer.

The correct answer is C. Maintaining Access.

The red team has already gained administrative access. Installing a backdoor to preserve continued access after the initial vulnerability is remediated represents the Maintaining Access phase.

CEH methodology identifies five hacking phases: Reconnaissance, Scanning, Gaining Access, Maintaining Access, and Clearing Tracks. It explains that Maintaining Access is the phase where an attacker tries to maintain ownership and control over compromised systems, commonly using backdoors, rootkits, or Trojans to retain access . Another EC-Council-aligned reference states that Maintaining Access refers to retaining ownership of the system and securing continued access with backdoors, rootkits, Trojans, or Trojan horse backdoors .

Option A. Reconnaissance is incorrect because reconnaissance occurs before exploitation and focuses on information gathering.

Option B. Vulnerability Scanning is incorrect because scanning identifies weaknesses but does not involve installing persistence.

Option D. Clearing Tracks is incorrect because clearing tracks involves hiding evidence, altering logs, or avoiding detection.

Option C. Maintaining Access is correct because the backdoor is installed to preserve long-term access.

Therefore, the best answer is C. Maintaining Access.

The persistence described—“automatically launch every time the system is restarted” with no user interaction—most commonly aligns with Registry Run keys on Windows. Run keys are a classic persistence mechanism where an attacker adds a value referencing their executable to locations such as HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (per-user) or HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (system-wide). When Windows starts (and/or when a user logs in, depending on the key), the operating system processes these entries and launches the referenced program automatically. This provides reliable persistence across reboots and is frequently used because it is simple, effective, and blends with legitimate startup entries.

The scenario indicates Meera placed a binary in a hidden directory and configured it to auto-launch after restarts. Registry-based autoruns fit that exact pattern: the binary can reside anywhere (including a hidden folder), while the registry entry points to it. The persistence survives reboot and does not require the attacker to be present.

Why the other options are less likely given the phrasing:

Startup Folder (C) can also auto-launch programs, but it commonly implies a shortcut or executable placed in the user’s startup directory and is generally tied to user logon behavior. The question emphasizes “every time the system is restarted” and is most often tested in CEH contexts as registry autorun persistence.

Scheduled Tasks (A) can run at startup or on triggers and is a valid persistence technique, but the scenario does not mention task scheduling, triggers, or task configuration.

Creating a new service (B) would typically imply installing a Windows service, often requiring elevated privileges and presenting as a managed service; the scenario frames it as a lightweight binary planted and configured to auto-launch, which aligns more naturally with Run keys.

Therefore, the most likely persistence technique is D. Registry run keys.

The correct answer is A. IMDS Attack.

The scenario describes an attacker executing code from inside a cloud instance and retrieving temporary credentials associated with the instance role. This is characteristic of an Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) attack. Cloud platforms expose metadata services to instances so applications can retrieve configuration and role credentials. If an attacker gains code execution on the instance, they may query IMDS and steal temporary credentials.

A cloud security reference explains that when an EC2 instance is associated with an instance profile, temporary security credentials are automatically provided to the instance through the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) . In the scenario, the tester abuses this behavior after gaining code execution through the vulnerable web application.

Option B. CPDoS Attack is incorrect because Cache Poisoned Denial-of-Service targets caching behavior to cause service denial.

Option C. Cloud Snooper Attack is incorrect because Cloud Snooper refers to bypassing firewall controls and command-and-control through cloud infrastructure paths.

Option D. Wrapping Attack is incorrect because wrapping attacks commonly target SOAP/XML signatures or request manipulation, not cloud instance metadata credentials.

Therefore, the best answer is A. IMDS Attack.

TCP 139 and UDP 137 and 138 correspond to NetBIOS over TCP/IP services that are closely associated with Windows file and printer sharing and legacy SMB browsing. In CEH methodology, these ports are high-value enumeration targets because NetBIOS name service and datagram service can disclose hostnames, domain or workgroup names, logged-in users, and shared resource details, often before any strong authentication occurs. UDP 137 is used for NetBIOS Name Service, which supports name registration and lookup. UDP 138 supports NetBIOS Datagram Service, commonly tied to browsing and announcement traffic. TCP 139 supports NetBIOS Session Service, historically used to establish sessions for SMB traffic and to query share and user-related information when configurations are weak.

In real environments, misconfigurations such as permissive share settings, legacy protocols, or anonymous and guest-access allowances can allow an attacker to enumerate user accounts, groups, and policies indirectly through browsing data, share lists, and RPC-related exposure that frequently accompanies SMB environments. CEH training emphasizes prioritizing enumeration against Windows networking services because the information gained can rapidly support follow-on attacks such as password spraying, targeted phishing, lateral movement, and privilege escalation planning.

The other choices include TCP 21 FTP, TCP 23 Telnet, and TCP 25 SMTP, which may expose banners or allow limited user enumeration in specific configurations, but they are not the primary ports associated with classic Windows user and group enumeration. UDP 133 is not a standard enumeration target in this context. Therefore, TCP 139 with UDP 137 and 138 is the best priority set for username and group-related enumeration.