EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v12Reconnaissance TechniquesEasy
A security analyst is conducting an external penetration test against a target organization. They discover that the organization's public-facing web server is running Apache 2.4.41 and PHP 7.3.11. This information was obtained without directly interacting with the web server, instead by examining publicly available search engine caches and archived web pages. What type of footprinting technique was primarily utilized in this scenario?
- ADirect Footprinting
- BSemi-Active Footprinting
- CActive Footprinting
- DPassive Footprinting
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Passive Footprinting
Passive footprinting involves gathering information about a target without directly interacting with the target's systems. Utilizing search engine caches and archived web pages are classic examples of passive methods.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Direct footprinting is not a standard term, and the methods described are indirect.
- B. There is no widely recognized 'Semi-Active Footprinting' as a distinct category in ethical hacking; footprinting is typically classified as active or passive.
- C. Active footprinting involves direct interaction with the target's systems, which did not occur in this scenario.
Passive Footprinting
The process of gathering information about a target without directly engaging with its systems or network. It relies on publicly available data.
- No direct interaction with target
- Relies on public sources (e.g., search engines, social media, WHOIS)
- Low risk of detection
Memory trick: Passive means you're just observing, not touching.