To answer this question, we need to understand the concepts of attack surface and the characteristics of UDP and TCP protocols.
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) are two different transport layer protocols used in computer networks. UDP is a connectionless protocol that provides a simple and lightweight way to send data packets over the network. TCP, on the other hand, is a connection-oriented protocol that provides reliable and ordered delivery of data packets.
The attack surface refers to the potential points of vulnerability in a system that can be exploited by attackers. In the context of network protocols, a larger attack surface means that there are more potential vulnerabilities that can be targeted by attackers.
The main reason why UDP has a larger attack surface than TCP is because UDP lacks certain features that TCP has to provide reliability and security. UDP is a "fire and forget" protocol, meaning that it does not establish a connection or ensure the delivery of data packets. This lack of connection establishment and error correction mechanisms makes UDP more vulnerable to attacks.
Option A) It allows the spread of worms - This option is incorrect because the spread of worms is not directly related to the attack surface of UDP.
Option B) It is a connection-oriented protocol - This option is incorrect because TCP is the connection-oriented protocol, not UDP.
Option C) It is a "fire and forget" protocol - This option is incorrect because this statement is true for UDP, but it does not explain why UDP has a larger attack surface.
Option D) The IP address is easily spoofed - This option is correct because one of the main reasons why UDP has a larger attack surface is that the IP address in UDP datagrams can be easily spoofed. This allows attackers to send malicious packets with a forged IP address, making it difficult to trace the source of the attack.
Therefore, the correct answer is D) The IP address is easily spoofed. This option is correct because it explains why UDP has a larger attack surface compared to TCP.