Hping3 IP Spoofing Command for Anonymity

312-50v12 By islever Editorial Last updated

Scanning Networks

Short answer

D Use Hping3 with the -a flag to spoof the source IP address for anonymity during network probing.

Question

During a penetration testing assignment, a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) used a set of scanning tools to create a profile of the target organization. The CEH wanted to scan for live hosts, open ports, and services on a target network. He used Nmap for network inventory and Hping3 for network security auditing. However, he wanted to spoof IP addresses for anonymity during probing. Which command should the CEH use to perform this task?
  1. Hping3 -1 10.0.0.25 -ICMP
  2. Hping3 -2 10.0.0.25-p 80
  3. Nmap -sS -Pn -n -vw --packet-trace -p- --script discovery -T4
  4. Hping3 -S 192.168.1.1 -a 192.168.1.254 -p 22 --flood Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

Hping3 IP spoofing is tested; the common trap is confusing Nmap scan flags with Hping3's specific spoofing flag -a.

Identifying the correct Hping3 command to spoof an IP address during network probing. This page establishes that the -a flag in Hping3 is the required parameter to spoof the source IP for anonymity.

Common mistake: Choosing the Nmap command (Option C) because it looks complex, but Nmap requires -D or -S for spoofing, whereas Hping3 uses -a.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option D correctly utilizes the Hping3 command with the -a flag, which explicitly defines the spoofed source IP address (192.168.1.254) for the outgoing packets. The -S flag sets the SYN flag for the network probe, -p 22 targets the SSH port, and --flood sends packets continuously. This combination fulfills the requirement to probe the network while maintaining anonymity through IP spoofing.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A uses Hping3 in ICMP mode (-1) but lacks any mechanism to spoof the source IP address. Option B uses Hping3 in UDP mode (-2) and also omits the spoofing flag entirely. Option C is an Nmap command that performs a SYN scan (-sS) and various discovery scripts, but it does not include Nmap's specific spoofing flags like -D (decoy) or -S (source IP spoofing).

Community Comment Notes

Users correctly identified the -a flag as the spoofing mechanism, as one noted that "-a" is to spoof the IP. However, another comment incorrectly asserted that the --flood syntax is used for spoofing the IP address. The --flood flag actually just sends packets as fast as possible without waiting for replies, and does not perform IP spoofing itself.

Exam Strategy

When asked about IP spoofing in Hping3, look for the -a flag followed by an IP address. Do not confuse Hping3 flags with Nmap flags, as they use different parameters for spoofing operations.

Community Votes

D
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 4 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 4

  1. JustAName 👍 2 Answered D
    D "--flood" syntax is used for spa public discussion thread on this question ip address when performing scans
  2. insaniunt 👍 2 Answered D
    D. Hping3 -S 192.168.1.1 -a 192.168.1.254 -p 22 --flood
  3. qtygbapjpesdayazko 👍 2
    Is D- "-a" is to spoof the IP 192.168.1.254
  4. xbsumz 👍 1
    Im a bit hesitant about the effectiveness of this CEH technique

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