Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

Which attack occurs when a mobile device connects to an attacker-installed hotspot due to a network outage?

1. Man-in-the-Middle Attack

2. Client Misassociation

3. Social Engineering Attack

4. Rogue Access Point Attack

The correct answer is: Client Misassociation

The scenario describes a situation in which a mobile device automatically connects to a potentially malicious hotspot because the legitimate network is unavailable. This phenomenon is known as client misassociation. When a mobile device experiences network issues, it may search for available connections and, in doing so, can mistakenly connect to an unauthorized or fraudulent access point that has been set up by an attacker. This susceptible behavior results from the device's preference for immediate connectivity over the quality or security of the network it connects to. Client misassociation is particularly concerning because, once connected, an attacker can intercept sensitive data, manipulate traffic, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the user's information. The other options, while related to security, do not directly capture this specific occurrence of erroneous network association due to outages. A man-in-the-middle attack typically occurs after a connection is established and involves intercepting communication between two parties. Social engineering attacks involve manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information, and rogue access point attacks usually involve malicious devices masquerading as legitimate ones but do not directly address the automatic reconnection aspect that characterizes client misassociation.