This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application environment, configuration and security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A container runs as root (UID 0) but the security policy requires the container to run as non-root user 1000. Which pod security context setting should be added?
runAsNonRoot: true
Why wrong: Prevents root but does not specify UID; container might still run as arbitrary non-root.
runAsUser: 1000
Directly sets the container's user ID to 1000.
fsGroup: 1000
Why wrong: fsGroup sets the group for volume mounts, not the user.
privileged: false
Why wrong: Disables privileged mode but does not change the user.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
runAsUser: 1000
Option B is correct because `runAsUser: 1000` explicitly sets the container's user ID to 1000, ensuring the container process runs as a non-root user. This directly satisfies the security policy requirement to run as UID 1000, overriding the default root (UID 0) behavior.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
runAsNonRoot: true
Why it's wrong here
Prevents root but does not specify UID; container might still run as arbitrary non-root.
runAsUser: 1000
Why this is correct
Directly sets the container's user ID to 1000.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
fsGroup: 1000
Why it's wrong here
fsGroup sets the group for volume mounts, not the user.
privileged: false
Why it's wrong here
Disables privileged mode but does not change the user.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `runAsNonRoot: true` with setting a specific user ID, not realizing it only enforces non-root but does not guarantee UID 1000, which the question explicitly requires.
Detailed technical explanation
The `runAsUser` setting in the pod's security context modifies the user ID of the container's main process via the Linux `setuid` syscall, overriding the USER directive in the Dockerfile. This is crucial when images are built with root as the default user (common in legacy images) and must be hardened to meet security policies like Pod Security Standards (PSS) 'restricted' profile. A real-world scenario is running a web server container where the application expects to bind to a privileged port (<1024) but must run as non-root; in that case, you would also need to set `capabilities` (e.g., `NET_BIND_SERVICE`) or use a higher port.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
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FAQ
Application Environment, Configuration and Security — This question tests Application Environment, Configuration and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: runAsUser: 1000 — Option B is correct because `runAsUser: 1000` explicitly sets the container's user ID to 1000, ensuring the container process runs as a non-root user. This directly satisfies the security policy requirement to run as UID 1000, overriding the default root (UID 0) behavior.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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