A security team is evaluating network access control solutions. What is the primary limitation of using only MAC address filtering for network access control?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation and Infographic
Here's the deal — b is correct because MAC addresses are transmitted in cleartext in Ethernet frames; an attacker can capture a legitimate device's MAC address using passive sniffing and then configure their own NIC to use that MAC address, bypassing MAC-based filtering entirely. A is wrong because MAC filtering is a standard switch feature requiring no special hardware upgrades.
Full explanation below image
Full Explanation
B is correct because MAC addresses are transmitted in cleartext in Ethernet frames; an attacker can capture a legitimate device's MAC address using passive sniffing and then configure their own NIC to use that MAC address, bypassing MAC-based filtering entirely. A is wrong because MAC filtering is a standard switch feature requiring no special hardware upgrades. C is wrong because MAC addresses operate at Layer 2 and function the same way regardless of IPv4 or IPv6 at Layer 3. D is wrong because simple MAC filtering can be done with static tables on the switch itself; RADIUS integration is optional for advanced dynamic port authentication.