In which scenario is ARP spoofing most likely occurring?

ARP spoofing, also known as ARP poisoning, is a technique where an attacker sends falsified Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages over a local area network. This can allow the attacker to associate their MAC address with the IP address of another device, enabling them to intercept, modify, or stop data intended for that device.

The scenario where ARP responses are received without corresponding requests indicates that an unauthorized device is responding with its MAC address to IP addresses for which it should not be responding. This unsolicited response is a common tactic in ARP spoofing, as it allows the attacker to inject their MAC address into the ARP tables of other devices on the network, misleading them about the actual MAC address associated with certain IP addresses.

In the context of the given choices, this behavior strongly suggests that ARP spoofing is occurring. Other options, while they may indicate network issues, do not directly imply malicious ARP activities. For example, slow file downloads could arise from numerous factors such as bandwidth limitations or network congestion, while many simultaneous ARP requests or identical MAC addresses on devices could indicate other network configuration issues rather than ARP spoofing itself. Thus, the reception of ARP responses without corresponding requests is the most telling sign of ARP