A senior executive receives a personalized email with the subject line “Annual Performance Review 2024.

This scenario is a textbook example of a Whaling Attack, a highly targeted phishing technique described in the CEH v13 Social Engineering module. Whaling specifically targets senior executives or high-ranking individuals, exploiting their authority, access privileges, and decision-making roles.

In the given case, the attacker crafts a personalized email, impersonates the CEO, and uses legitimate corporate branding to build trust. The malicious PDF attachment delivers a backdoor, aligning with CEH v13 descriptions of advanced spear-phishing techniques used against executives.

CEH v13 differentiates whaling from other phishing types:

Broad phishing targets large groups indiscriminately.

Pharming redirects users via DNS manipulation.

Email clone attacks copy legitimate emails but typically target peers, not executives.

Whaling attacks are particularly dangerous because executives often bypass security scrutiny and possess elevated system access. CEH v13 emphasizes executive awareness training as a key mitigation strategy.

Therefore, the correct answer is Whaling attack aimed at high-ranking personnel.