Systems Security Certified Practitioner – SSCP – Question0930

What protocol is used to match an IP address to the appropriate hardware address of the packet's destination so it can be sent?

A.
Routing tables
B. Address resolution protocol (ARP)
C. Reverse address resolution protocol (RARP)
D. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is used to match an IP address to an Ethernet address so the packet can be sent to the appropriate node.
Shon Harris in her book says: MAC and IP addresses must be properly mapped so they can be correctly resolved. This happens through the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). When the data link layer receives a frame, the network layer has already attached the destination IP address to it, but the data link layer cannot understand the IP address and thus invokes ARP for help.
ARP broadcasts a frame requesting the MAC address that corresponds with the destination IP address. Each computer on the subnet receives this broadcast frame, and all but the computer that has the requested IP address ignore it.
The computer that has the destination IP address responds with its MAC address. Now ARP knows what hardware address corresponds with that specific IP address. The data link layer takes the frame, adds the hardware address to it, and passes it on to the physical layer, which enables the frame to hit the wire and go to the destination computer.
ARP maps the hardware address and associated IP address and stores this mapping in its table for a predefined amount of time. This caching is done so that when another frame destined for the same IP address needs to hit the wire, ARP does not need to broadcast its request again. It just looks in its table for this information.
Man-In-The-Middle attack Because ARP does not require authentication, an attacker could place bogus entries into the ARP cache of a remote host (gratuitous ARP replies) to carry out attacks, such as a man-in-the-middle attacks. This attack is called ARP poisoning.
The following answers were incorrect:
RARP is used to match an Ethernet address to an IP address. ICMP is a management protocol whose function is to send message between network devices. Routing tables are used by routers to choose the appropriate interface to route packets.
Reference(s) used for this question: Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition, Chapter 6 Telecommunications and Network Security, Pages 580-581 or on the Kindle edition look around Locations 12298-12306. McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition. and Schneiter, Andrew (2013-04-15). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK , Third Edition: Telecommunications and Network Security, Page 342.