What is the likely outcome of a cryptographic collision attack?

A cryptographic collision attack occurs when two distinct inputs produce the same hash output, which is a vulnerability in hash functions. The correct outcome of such an attack is represented by the scenario where two files, despite having different contents, result in the same hash value. This means that an attacker can create a malicious file that has the same hash as a legitimate file, leading to confusion or exploitation of trust in digital signatures and file integrity verifications.

This scenario highlights the importance of using secure hash functions that minimize the risk of collision attacks. If an adversary can generate two different files with the same hash, they can potentially bypass security mechanisms that rely on the uniqueness of a hash value, compromising the integrity of data.

While other options, such as loss of data integrity, may occur as a consequence of a collision attack, the most direct and specific outcome is the existence of two distinct files that share the same hash. The other outcomes may relate to the consequences of such an attack but do not capture the essence of what a collision attack fundamentally entails.