Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What type of attack is characterized by tampering with the operating conditions of a chip to compromise its security?

1. Perturbation attack

2. Replay attack

3. Social engineering attack

4. Insider threat

The correct answer is: Perturbation attack

The type of attack characterized by tampering with the operating conditions of a chip to compromise its security is known as a perturbation attack. This approach involves manipulating various physical parameters (like voltage, temperature, and clock frequency) of the chip to induce errors or to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. By creating conditions that disrupt normal operations, an attacker can exploit vulnerabilities in the hardware, which may lead to undesirable outcomes such as the extraction of cryptographic keys or other confidential data. In contrast, replay attacks involve capturing and reusing valid data transmissions to deceive a system into executing unauthorized commands. Social engineering attacks focus on manipulating individuals into divulging sensitive information, often exploiting human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. Insider threats refer to security breaches that originate from within an organization, typically involving employees or contractors who misuse their access rights. Each of these options presents a different approach to compromising security, but they do not specifically relate to the manipulation of the hardware's operating conditions like a perturbation attack does.