Which attack uses overlapping IP fragment offsets to crash a target system?

Which attack uses overlapping IP fragment offsets to crash a target system?

• A. Port scanning
• B. SYN flood
• C. Uses overlapping offsets to cause a crash
• D. ICMP flood

Answer: (C)

IP fragmentation and how a host reassembles fragments is what this question tests. When a large IP packet is divided into fragments, each piece carries an offset and an indicator of whether more fragments follow. If those fragments arrive with offsets that overlap, some systems’ reassembly logic mishandles the overlap, which can lead to memory corruption or a crash. This kind of attack exploits the fragmentation process itself and is often referred to as an overlapping-fragment or teardrop attack. The other options describe traffic-based or reconnaissance techniques that don’t rely on fragment reassembly, so they wouldn’t cause a crash through fragmentation.

IP fragmentation and how a host reassembles fragments is what this question tests. When a large IP packet is divided into fragments, each piece carries an offset and an indicator of whether more fragments follow. If those fragments arrive with offsets that overlap, some systems’ reassembly logic mishandles the overlap, which can lead to memory corruption or a crash. This kind of attack exploits the fragmentation process itself and is often referred to as an overlapping-fragment or teardrop attack.

The other options describe traffic-based or reconnaissance techniques that don’t rely on fragment reassembly, so they wouldn’t cause a crash through fragmentation.