The fact that the server is running at maximum capacity, combined with the open ports, suggests that the server may have been compromised bya virus infection. Malware can exploit unnecessary open ports, leading to resource exhaustion and performance issues.
* Virus infection (Answer C):Malware often exploits open ports and consumes system resources, leading to performance degradation.
* Incorrect share permissions (Option A):This would affect access but not resource utilization.
* Improper privilege escalation (Option B):This refers to unauthorized users gaining higher access rights, but it doesn't explain the high resource usage.
* Misconfigured firewall rule (Option D):A misconfigured firewall could allow unnecessary traffic, but it' s less likely to cause performance issues unless combined with malware.
CompTIA Server+ Reference:This topic is covered underSK0-005 Objective 4.2: Explain server security concepts and best practices.