Eccouncil 112-51 Exam - Topic 4 Question 34 Discussion

Actual exam question for Eccouncil's 112-51 exam

Question #: 34
Topic #: 4

George, a professional hacker, targeted a bank employee and tried to crack his password while he was attempting to log on to the remote server to perform his regular banking operations. In this process, George used sniffing tools to capture the password pairwise master key (PMK) associated with the handshake authentication process. Then, using the PMK, he gained unauthorized access to the server to perform malicious activities.

Identify the encryption technology on which George performed password cracking.

AWPA3

BWPA

CWPA2

DWEP

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: C

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is an encryption technology that secures wireless networks using the IEEE 802.11i standard. WPA2 uses a four-way handshake to authenticate the client and the access point, and to generate a pairwise transient key (PTK) for encrypting the data. The PTK is derived from the password pairwise master key (PMK), which is a shared secret between the client and the access point. The PMK can be obtained either by using a pre-shared key (PSK) or by using an 802.1X authentication server. In the above scenario, George performed password cracking on WPA2, as he used sniffing tools to capture the PMK associated with the handshake authentication process. Then, using the PMK, he was able to derive the PTK and decrypt the data exchanged between the client and the access point. Reference:

WPA2 - Wikipedia

How WPA2-PSK encryption works? - Cryptography Stack Exchange

WPA2 Encryption and Configuration Guide - Cisco Meraki Documentation

by Hannah at Jun 13, 2025, 07:17 PM

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Teddy

2 months ago

I doubt it's WEP; that tech is practically dead.

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Skye

2 months ago

No way, WEP is way too outdated for this!

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Ben

2 months ago

Definitely WPA2, that's the common one for these attacks.

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Carla

3 months ago

Sounds like WPA2 to me.

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Iola

3 months ago

Wait, are we sure it's not WPA3? That seems risky too.

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Nan

3 months ago

I definitely remember that WEP is outdated and not used for this type of attack, so it has to be either WPA or WPA2.

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Stefanie

3 months ago

I'm a bit confused; could it be WPA3? I know it has improvements, but I don't recall if it uses PMK like WPA2 does.

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Lizbeth

4 months ago

I remember practicing with WPA and WPA2 questions, and I feel like WPA2 is the right answer here.

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Queenie

4 months ago

I think this might be related to WPA2 since it uses the PMK in its handshake process, but I'm not entirely sure.

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Cherelle

4 months ago

This seems like a tricky one. The question provides a lot of technical details, but it doesn't explicitly state the encryption technology. I'll need to carefully consider the information given and try to eliminate the incorrect options.

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Pamella

4 months ago

I'm not entirely sure about this one. The details about the handshake authentication process and the PMK make me think it could be either WPA2 or WPA3. I'll need to review my notes on wireless security protocols to make a more informed decision.

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Terrilyn

4 months ago

Okay, let's see. The question says George used sniffing tools to capture the PMK, which suggests a wireless network. Based on that, I'd say the answer is probably WPA2, since that's the most common wireless encryption standard.

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Han

4 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused here. The question talks about password cracking, but it doesn't explicitly mention which encryption technology was used. I'll need to think this through carefully before answering.

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Filiberto

5 months ago

This one seems pretty straightforward. The question mentions George using sniffing tools to capture the password pairwise master key (PMK) associated with the handshake authentication process, so the answer must be WPA2.

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Cassi

7 months ago

Well, well, well, if it isn't good old George, the master of password cracking. I wonder if he's got a secret stash of WPA2 jokes he's been saving up for this very moment.

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Jules

5 months ago

B) WPA

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Mee

6 months ago

A) WPA3

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Janey

7 months ago

Seriously, WPA2? That's like trying to break into Fort Knox with a toothpick. George must have some serious skills, or a lot of free time on his hands.

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Katlyn

7 months ago

WPA2, huh? That's like the grandaddy of Wi-Fi encryption. Guess George thought he could outsmart the system, but he's got another thing coming.

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Tequila

7 months ago

Ah, the good old WPA2 hacks! Classic George, always trying to one-up the security protocols. I bet he's got a whole arsenal of sniffing tools just waiting to be deployed.

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