Which DNS record contains host information such as CPU type and operating system?

Which DNS record contains host information such as CPU type and operating system?

• A. RP
• B. HINFO
• C. TXT
• D. PTR

Answer: (B)

The DNS record that carries host details like CPU type and operating system is the HINFO record. It holds two ASCII strings: one describing the CPU type and one describing the operating system. This allows a DNS server to advertise what hardware and OS a host is using. While it can be useful for compatibility checks, it’s rarely used today because exposing hardware and OS details can aid fingerprinting, and many administrators leave it unset or ignore it. In contrast, other records serve different purposes: the record for the responsible person is about contact information, TXT holds arbitrary text, and PTR is used for reverse lookups from IP addresses to hostnames.

The DNS record that carries host details like CPU type and operating system is the HINFO record. It holds two ASCII strings: one describing the CPU type and one describing the operating system. This allows a DNS server to advertise what hardware and OS a host is using. While it can be useful for compatibility checks, it’s rarely used today because exposing hardware and OS details can aid fingerprinting, and many administrators leave it unset or ignore it. In contrast, other records serve different purposes: the record for the responsible person is about contact information, TXT holds arbitrary text, and PTR is used for reverse lookups from IP addresses to hostnames.