What does NMAP version scanning help determine?

• A. The services and their versions running on open ports
• B. The host's operating system
• C. The network topology
• D. The firewall rules

Answer: (A)

Version scanning with Nmap focuses on identifying what services are listening on open ports and exactly which versions those services are running. Nmap sends specific probes to each open port, looks at banners, responses, and protocol behavior, and then matches that information against a fingerprint database to name the service and its version. This detail is crucial for assessing potential vulnerabilities and choosing appropriate exploits or patches. It’s not about guessing the host’s operating system (that’s OS detection), nor about mapping the network topology, and it doesn’t directly reveal firewall rules (which would require other methods and can be blocked).