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EC-Council

312-50V12 · Question #187

A well-resourced attacker intends to launch a highly disruptive DDoS attack against a major online retailer. The attacker aims to exhaust all the network resources while keeping their identity…

The correct answer is B. The attacker should leverage a botnet to launch a Pulse Wave attack, sending high-volume traffic. A botnet-driven Pulse Wave attack is the most effective strategy for a highly disruptive, concealed DDoS attack because it leverages distributed sources to evade IP-based blocking while overwhelming network resources with high-volume traffic.

Submitted by khalil_dz· Mar 4, 2026Network and Perimeter Hacking

Question

A well-resourced attacker intends to launch a highly disruptive DDoS attack against a major online retailer. The attacker aims to exhaust all the network resources while keeping their identity concealed. Their method should be resistant to simple defensive measures such as IP-based blocking. Based on these objectives, which of the following attack strategies would be most effective?

Options

  • AThe attacker should instigate a protocol-based SYN flood attack, consuming connection state
  • BThe attacker should leverage a botnet to launch a Pulse Wave attack, sending high-volume traffic
  • CThe attacker should initiate a volumetric flood attack using a single compromised machine to
  • DThe attacker should execute a simple ICMP flood attack from a single IP, exploiting the retailer's

How the community answered

(46 responses)
  • A
    11% (5)
  • B
    83% (38)
  • C
    4% (2)
  • D
    2% (1)

Why each option

A botnet-driven Pulse Wave attack is the most effective strategy for a highly disruptive, concealed DDoS attack because it leverages distributed sources to evade IP-based blocking while overwhelming network resources with high-volume traffic.

AThe attacker should instigate a protocol-based SYN flood attack, consuming connection state

A SYN flood attack from a single instigator is vulnerable to IP-based blocking and may not exhaust all network resources as effectively as a distributed volumetric attack.

BThe attacker should leverage a botnet to launch a Pulse Wave attack, sending high-volume trafficCorrect

A botnet provides a distributed attack source, effectively concealing the attacker's identity and making IP-based blocking difficult due to the multitude of attacking IPs. A Pulse Wave attack is a volumetric DDoS method that involves sending intermittent bursts of extremely high-volume traffic to overwhelm and exhaust target network resources, making it highly disruptive.

CThe attacker should initiate a volumetric flood attack using a single compromised machine to

A volumetric flood attack using a single compromised machine is easily mitigated by simple IP-based blocking and fails to provide the required attacker concealment.

DThe attacker should execute a simple ICMP flood attack from a single IP, exploiting the retailer's

A simple ICMP flood attack from a single IP is easily blocked and lacks the distributed nature and potential for widespread disruption sought by the attacker.

Concept tested: DDoS attack strategies (Volumetric, Botnet, Evasion)

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ddos-protection/ddos-attack-vector-types

Topics

#DDoS attack#botnet#volumetric attack#attack concealment

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