An analyst is conducting routine vulnerability assessments on the company infrastructure. When performing these scans, a business-critical server crashes, and the cause is traced back to the vulnerabi

Question

Options

• AThe scanner is running without an agent installed.
• BThe scanner is running in active mode.
• CThe scanner is segmented improperly
• DThe scanner is configured with a scanning window

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  89% (33)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  5% (2)

Explanation

Vulnerability Scanner Crash Explanation

Running a scanner in active mode means it actively sends probes, exploits potential weaknesses, and aggressively interacts with target systems - which can overwhelm older or fragile servers, causing crashes or disruptions. This is distinct from passive scanning, which simply observes network traffic without directly interacting with systems, making it far safer for critical infrastructure.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (No agent installed): Agentless vs. agent-based scanning affects accuracy and privilege level, not whether a server crashes - both methods can be run safely.
• C (Improper segmentation): Segmentation issues would affect which systems are scanned, not cause a crash due to the scanner's behavior itself.
• D (Scanning window): A scanning window defines when scans occur (e.g., off-hours), which is a scheduling control and wouldn't directly cause a crash.

Memory Tip: Think of active = aggressive - an active scanner pokes and prods systems like a stress test, while a passive scanner just listens. If a server can't handle being "poked," it crashes. When you see "server crash + scanner," always think active mode as the culprit.

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