Free CEH Cryptography Practice Test 2026 — 312-50 v13 Questions

This free CEH Cryptography practice test covers symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, digital signatures, PKI, SSL/TLS attacks, and cryptanalysis. Each question includes a detailed explanation with realistic pentest context — perfect for CEH 312-50 v13 exam prep.

Key Topics in CEH Cryptography

6 Free CEH Cryptography Practice Questions with Answers

Each question below includes 4 answer options, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation. These are real questions from the FlashGenius CEH 312-50 v13 question bank for the Cryptography domain (6% of the exam).

Sample Question 1 — Cryptography

During a penetration test, you are tasked with intercepting and analyzing encrypted HTTPS traffic between a client and a server. Which tool and method should you use to achieve this while maintaining ethical standards?

  1. A. Use a man-in-the-middle proxy like Burp Suite to decrypt and inspect the traffic with client consent. (Correct answer)
  2. B. Deploy a rogue access point to capture traffic without the client's knowledge.
  3. C. Use a packet sniffer like Wireshark to capture encrypted packets and attempt brute-forcing the encryption.
  4. D. Install malware on the client system to capture traffic at the endpoint.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: Burp Suite can act as a man-in-the-middle proxy to decrypt HTTPS traffic with proper client consent, aligning with ethical hacking practices. Option B violates ethical standards, option C is ineffective without decryption, and option D is unethical.

Sample Question 2 — Cryptography

You need to evaluate the strength of encryption ciphers used by a client's web server. Which method would best help determine if the server is using outdated or weak ciphers?

  1. A. Perform a brute-force attack on the server's SSL/TLS connections.
  2. B. Use a tool like SSLyze to scan and report on the ciphers used by the server. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Deploy a dictionary attack against existing encrypted communications.
  4. D. Review the server's application logs for any mentions of encryption algorithms.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: SSLyze is designed to scan for and analyze SSL/TLS configurations, including cipher strength, making it ideal for this task. Option A would be impractical and unethical, option C is irrelevant, and option D is unlikely to provide the necessary details.

Sample Question 3 — Cryptography

A client asks you to ensure that their corporate emails are being transmitted securely. Which of the following measures would best verify the use of strong encryption in email transmission?

  1. A. Check the SMTP server configuration for STARTTLS support. (Correct answer)
  2. B. Attempt to decrypt email traffic using a rainbow table.
  3. C. Capture email traffic and analyze it with a regular expression tool.
  4. D. Review user email clients for PGP or S/MIME encryption settings.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: Checking for STARTTLS support ensures that the SMTP server is capable of encrypting email transmissions. Options B and C are inappropriate for verifying encryption standards, and option D is not focused on transmission security.

Sample Question 4 — Cryptography

You are conducting a security audit on a company's file server. What is the best approach to assess the security of the stored files against unauthorized decryption?

  1. A. Execute a keylogger on the server to capture encryption keys.
  2. B. Use a vulnerability scanner to find known weaknesses in file encryption implementations.
  3. C. Analyze encryption policies and key management practices for compliance with best practices. (Correct answer)
  4. D. Attempt to crack encrypted files using a brute-force attack.

Correct answer: C

Explanation: Analyzing encryption policies and key management practices helps ensure compliance with best practices, protecting against unauthorized decryption. Option A is unethical, B is not specific to encryption, and D may be illegal and impractical.

Sample Question 5 — Cryptography

As part of a penetration test, you are asked to assess the security of a web application against known cryptographic attacks. Which approach should you take?

  1. A. Use a tool like OWASP ZAP to test for weak cryptographic practices in the application. (Correct answer)
  2. B. Attempt SQL injection to expose the encryption methods used.
  3. C. Inspect the source code manually for any encryption routines.
  4. D. Launch a DDoS attack to disrupt the application's cryptographic functions.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: OWASP ZAP is capable of identifying weak cryptographic practices, making it suitable for this test. Options B and D are unrelated to cryptography, and option C lacks the efficiency of automated tools.

Sample Question 6 — Cryptography

You need to recommend a cryptographic algorithm for securing data in transit for a client’s internal communications. Which algorithm is the safest choice given current standards?

  1. A. AES in CBC mode with a 256-bit key. (Correct answer)
  2. B. DES with a 64-bit key.
  3. C. RC4 with a variable key length.
  4. D. RSA with a 512-bit key.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: AES in CBC mode with a 256-bit key offers strong encryption for data in transit. DES is outdated, RC4 is vulnerable to attacks, and RSA with a 512-bit key is weak by modern standards.

How to Study CEH Cryptography

Combine these CEH Cryptography practice questions with hands-on labs in a Kali Linux VM and on platforms like TryHackMe, HackTheBox, or the official CEH iLabs. The 312-50 v13 exam emphasizes practical attacker tradecraft, so always test commands and tools in a sandboxed environment — that hands-on muscle memory is what separates passing and failing scores.

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