Eccouncil 312-50 Exam - Topic 11 Question 104 Discussion

Actual exam question for Eccouncil's 312-50 exam

Question #: 104
Topic #: 11

Being a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), a company has brought you on board to evaluate the safety measures in place for their network system. The company uses a network time protocol server in the demilitarized zone.

During your enumeration, you decide to run a ntptrace command. Given the syntax: ntptrace [-n] [-m maxhosts] [servername/IP_address], which command usage would best serve your objective to find where the NTP server obtains the time from and to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network?

Antptrace -m 5 192.168.1.1

Btptrace 192.1681.

Cntptrace -n localhost

Dntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1
Explanation:
The command usage that would best serve your objective to find where the NTP server obtains the time from and to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network is ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1. This command usage works as follows:
ntptrace is a tool that determines where a given NTP server gets its time from, and follows the chain of NTP servers back to their master time source.For example, a stratum 0 server, which is a device that directly obtains the time from a physical source, such as an atomic clock or a GPS receiver1.
-n is a flag that outputs host IP addresses instead of host names.This can be useful if the host names are not resolvable or if the IP addresses are more informative1.
-m 5 is a flag that specifies the maximum number of hosts to be traced.This can be useful to limit the output and avoid tracing irrelevant or unreachable hosts1.
192.168.1.1 is the IP address of the NTP server in the demilitarized zone, which is the starting point of the trace.This can be useful to find out the source and the path of the time synchronization for the network system1.
By using this command usage, the output will show the IP addresses, the stratum, the offset, the sync distance, and the reference ID of each NTP server in the chain, up to five hosts.This can provide valuable information about the accuracy, the reliability, and the security of the time service for the network system1.
The other options are not as suitable as option D for the following reasons:
A . ntptrace -m 5 192.168.1.1: This option is similar to option D, but it does not use the -n flag, which means that it will output host names instead of IP addresses.This can be less useful if the host names are not resolvable or if the IP addresses are more informative1.
B . tptrace 192.1681.: This option is incorrect because it uses a wrong tool name and a wrong IP address. tptrace is not a valid tool name, and 192.1681. is not a valid IP address.The correct tool name is ntptrace, and the correct IP address is 192.168.1.11.
C . ntptrace -n localhost: This option is not effective because it uses localhost as the starting point of the trace, which means that it will only show the local host's time source.This can be useful to check the local host's time configuration, but it does not help to find out the time source and the trace of the NTP server in the demilitarized zone, which is the objective of this scenario1.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: D

1: ntptrace - trace a chain of NTP servers back to the primary source

by Lenny at Mar 22, 2025, 07:36 AM

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Mari

5 months ago

Surprised that people still confuse ntptrace with tptrace!

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Ceola

6 months ago

I think A could work too, but not as well as D.

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Maurine

6 months ago

Isn't 5 hosts a bit too many for a quick check?

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Polly

6 months ago

I disagree, localhost isn't useful for tracing external servers.

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Eun

6 months ago

Option D is definitely the right choice!

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Bettina

6 months ago

I definitely recall that using localhost won't help us trace external NTP servers. I think option C is not useful for this scenario at all.

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Stefanie

7 months ago

I'm a bit confused about the IP address format in option B. It looks wrong, but I can't recall the exact rules for IP addresses.

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Georgeanna

7 months ago

I think option D is the best choice because it combines both the -n and -m flags. I saw a similar question about NTP servers in our last mock exam.

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Blair

7 months ago

I remember practicing with ntptrace, but I'm not entirely sure if using the -n flag is always necessary. It seems helpful, though.

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Hollis

7 months ago

I want to make sure I understand this correctly. The ntptrace command will let me see where the NTP server is getting its time from and follow the chain of NTP servers, right?

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Yuriko

7 months ago

The -n flag to output IP addresses instead of hostnames is a good idea, as the hostnames may not be resolvable. And the -m 5 limit will keep the output concise and focused on the key NTP servers.

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Daryl

8 months ago

I'm not sure about the difference between the -n and -m flags. Do I really need to specify the maximum number of hosts to trace?

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Lavonna

8 months ago

The ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1 command looks like the best option to trace the NTP server and find its time source.

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Jolene

1 year ago

You know, I bet the developers put in a little Easter egg in the wrong answers, just to see if we're paying attention. Better stick with D to be safe!

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Louann

1 year ago

User 2: Yeah, I agree. The other options seem like distractions. Let's go with D.

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Bulah

1 year ago

User 1: I think option D is the best choice for the ntptrace command.

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Boris

1 year ago

C is only good for checking the local host's time, not the network's NTP server. Gotta go with D to get the full picture.

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Miss

1 year ago

Let's go with option D, ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1, to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network.

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Delmy

1 year ago

Option C is only good for checking the local host's time, not the network's NTP server. Option D gives the full picture.

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Georgiana

1 year ago

Using option D will provide valuable information about the accuracy and security of the time service for the network system.

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Tamesha

1 year ago

I agree, option D is the best choice to trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network.

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Barbra

1 year ago

Haha, B is just a typo waiting to happen. Definitely not that one.

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Janine

1 year ago

Option A is similar, but the -n flag is important to get the IP addresses instead of host names. Gotta make sure I can trace the full chain.

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Jenelle

1 year ago

I agree, the -n flag is essential for effective tracing. It ensures you have the necessary information to evaluate the safety measures in place for the network system.

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Jenelle

1 year ago

Exactly, using the -n flag will provide more informative output with IP addresses. It's crucial for tracing the full chain accurately.

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Jenelle

1 year ago

Option A is similar, but the -n flag is important to get the IP addresses instead of host names. Gotta make sure I can trace the full chain.

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Mollie

1 year ago

Actually, option A does not include the -n flag, which is important for outputting IP addresses. So, option D is the best choice.

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Lina

1 year ago

I'm not sure, but I think option A might also work for this scenario.

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Jules

1 year ago

I agree with Renea, that command will help trace the list of NTP servers connected to the network.

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Renea

1 year ago

I think the best command to use is ntptrace -n -m 5 192.168.1.1.

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Lanie

1 year ago

Hmm, D seems like the way to go. The -n and -m flags should give me the IP addresses and limit the trace, just what I need to find the NTP server's time source.

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