Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What is the correct sequence of steps involved in cracking WEP encryption?

1. 2 -> 4 -> 5 -> 1 -> 3

2. 4 -> 2 -> 5 -> 1 -> 3

3. 1 -> 5 -> 3 -> 4 -> 2

4. 3 -> 1 -> 4 -> 5 -> 2

The correct answer is: 4 -> 2 -> 5 -> 1 -> 3

The correct sequence of steps involved in cracking WEP encryption typically follows a specific order due to the nature of how WEP security works. The process starts with capturing enough packets that contain the initialization vector (IV) for analysis. This is crucial because WEP’s vulnerability lies in the way these IVs are generated and used in the encryption process. The steps likely are: 1. **Capture packets**: To initiate the cracking process, an attacker should capture a significant number of packets being transmitted over the wireless network. This is the foundation for the subsequent analysis, as it gathers the necessary data. 2. **Analyze captured packets**: Next, the attacker must analyze the captured data to identify the IVs. This is vital because WEP uses these IVs as part of its encryption key. By collecting enough packets, the likelihood of detecting the same IV used multiple times increases, which is a key vulnerability in WEP. 3. **Determine the WEP key**: After gathering sufficient packets and identifying the IVs, the attacker then computes the WEP key using the gathered information. This step is a combination of cryptanalysis techniques and software tools specialized in cracking WEP. 4. **Execute the actual cracking**: Once the WEP key