EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v12Reconnaissance TechniquesEasy
A security analyst is investigating a potential data breach and needs to determine if any sensitive files from their internal network have been indexed by public search engines. Which of the following advanced search engine operators would be most effective for identifying specific file types (e.g., .pdf, .docx, .xlsx) within a particular domain?
- Afiletype:pdf site:example.com
- Bcache:example.com
- Cinurl:admin login.php
- Dsite:example.com intitle:confidential
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. filetype:pdf site:example.com
The `filetype:` operator combined with `site:` is specifically designed to search for documents of a particular type within a specified domain, which directly addresses the analyst's objective.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. This retrieves the cached version of a page from the search engine, not for finding specific file types.
- C. This searches for login pages within URLs, not specific file types or domains.
- D. This searches for 'confidential' in the title within the domain, but doesn't specify file types.
Google Dorking (Advanced Search Operators)
Google Dorking, or Google Hacking, uses advanced search engine operators to find specific information or vulnerabilities that are publicly exposed but not easily discoverable through normal browsing.
- Operators like `site:`, `filetype:`, `inurl:`, `intitle:` narrow down search results.
- Can reveal sensitive information like configuration files, login pages, or exposed documents.
- A crucial part of passive reconnaissance and footprinting.
Memory trick: Search smarter, not harder; operators are your dorking key.