KCSA Kubernetes Cluster Component Security Practice Question
You are troubleshooting a secure etcd cluster where a new control plane node cannot join the cluster. The logs indicate a TLS handshake failure between etcd peers. Which etcd configuration flag specifies the trusted CA certificate used to verify peer certificates?
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
✓
--peer-trusted-ca-file
The --peer-trusted-ca-file flag specifies the CA certificate used to verify peer-to-peer TLS connections in etcd.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
--trusted-ca-file
Why it's wrong here
This validates client-to-server connections, not peer-to-peer connections.
- ✗
--peer-client-cert-auth
Why it's wrong here
This is a boolean flag enforcing client cert auth for peers, not the CA file itself.
- ✓
--peer-trusted-ca-file
Why this is correct
This flag ensures peer certificates are validated against the correct CA.
- ✗
--etcd-ca-file
Why it's wrong here
This is an API server flag, not an etcd daemon flag.
About these practice questions
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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.