KCSA Kubernetes Threat Model Practice Question
Which THREE of the following capabilities or runtime configurations pose extreme risks of container escape when granted to an untrusted workload?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
`hostPID: true` sharing the host process namespace
CAP_SYS_ADMIN, privileged mode, and hostPID/hostIPC namespace sharing all provide powerful vectors for breaking container boundaries.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
`hostPID: true` sharing the host process namespace
Why this is correct
Sharing host PID lets container processes see and potentially signal or ptrace host processes.
- ✗
Setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` on the service account
Why it's wrong here
Disabling token automounting is a security hardening measure.
- ✓
`securityContext.privileged: true`
Why this is correct
Privileged containers strip all kernel isolation boundaries.
- ✓
Granting the `CAP_SYS_ADMIN` capability in the container security context
Why this is correct
CAP_SYS_ADMIN bypasses many kernel checks and allows filesystem mounts.
- ✗
Setting `readOnlyRootFilesystem: true` in the container specification
Why it's wrong here
Read-only root filesystems enhance security rather than posing escape risks.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every KCSA question from scratch — 319 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official CNCF / Linux Foundation exam blueprint
This KCSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF / Linux Foundation certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the KCSA exam.