The fact that the server is running at maximum capacity, combined with the open ports, suggests that the server may have been compromised by a 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 under SK0-005 Objective 4.2: Explain server security concepts and best practices.