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System Hardening →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

CKS System Hardening Practice Question

This CKS practice question tests your understanding of system hardening. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 custom seccomp profile is defined as follows:

{
  "defaultAction": "SCMP_ACT_ALLOW",
  "architectures": ["SCMP_ARCH_X86_64"],
  "syscalls": [
    {
      "names": ["mkdir", "chmod"],
      "action": "SCMP_ACT_ERRNO"
    }
  ]
}

The profile is placed at /var/lib/kubelet/seccomp/deny-mkdir.json. Which pod securityContext configuration correctly applies this profile?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
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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

✓

seccompProfile: type: Localhost localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json"

Option B is correct because in Kubernetes, the `seccompProfile` field in the pod or container security context uses the `type: Localhost` (case-sensitive) and `localhostProfile` specifies the filename relative to the kubelet's seccomp root directory (`/var/lib/kubelet/seccomp/`). The profile file `deny-mkdir.json` is placed at that path, so `localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json"` correctly references it. This configuration blocks `mkdir` and `chmod` syscalls while allowing all others, as defined by the custom profile.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    annotations: seccomp.security.alpha.kubernetes.io/pod: "localhost/deny-mkdir"

    Why it's wrong here

    This annotation is deprecated; the securityContext field should be used.

  • ✓

    seccompProfile: type: Localhost localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json"

    Why this is correct

    This correctly references the local profile file.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    seccompProfile: type: localhost localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json"

    Why it's wrong here

    The type value must be 'Localhost' (capital L).

  • ✗

    seccompProfile: type: RuntimeDefault

    Why it's wrong here

    RuntimeDefault uses the container runtime's default profile, not the custom one.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CNCF often tests the case-sensitivity of `type: Localhost` (capital 'L') versus the incorrect lowercase `localhost`, and the distinction between the deprecated annotation-based approach and the current `seccompProfile` field in the security context.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The kubelet's seccomp profile root directory is configurable via the `--seccomp-profile-root` flag (default `/var/lib/kubelet/seccomp`). When using `type: Localhost`, the `localhostProfile` path is relative to this root, so `"deny-mkdir.json"` resolves to `/var/lib/kubelet/seccomp/deny-mkdir.json`. The profile uses `SCMP_ACT_ERRNO` to return an error (EPERM) for `mkdir` and `chmod`, effectively preventing directory creation and permission changes. This is a common technique for system hardening in multi-tenant clusters.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
  • Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
  • Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

  • Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
  • Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this CKS question test?

System Hardening — This question tests System Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: seccompProfile: type: Localhost localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json" — Option B is correct because in Kubernetes, the `seccompProfile` field in the pod or container security context uses the `type: Localhost` (case-sensitive) and `localhostProfile` specifies the filename relative to the kubelet's seccomp root directory (`/var/lib/kubelet/seccomp/`). The profile file `deny-mkdir.json` is placed at that path, so `localhostProfile: "deny-mkdir.json"` correctly references it. This configuration blocks `mkdir` and `chmod` syscalls while allowing all others, as defined by the custom profile.

What should I do if I get this CKS question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026

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This CKS practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF 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 CKS exam.