This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 security audit reveals that several pods have the service account token mounted automatically. Which annotation should be added to the pod's service account to prevent automatic mounting?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set 'automountServiceAccountToken: false' in the service account definition.
Option D is correct because setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` in the service account definition prevents pods that use that service account from automatically mounting the service account token. This is the recommended way to disable automatic token mounting at the service account level, as per Kubernetes security best practices.
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.
✗
Set 'automountServiceAccountToken: true' in the pod spec.
Why it's wrong here
Setting to true would mount the token, which is not desired.
✗
Add annotation 'seccomp.security.alpha.kubernetes.io/pod: "runtime/default"' to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
This annotation is for seccomp, not token mounting.
✗
Add annotation 'kubernetes.io/enforce-mountable-secrets: "false"' to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
This annotation does not exist.
✓
Set 'automountServiceAccountToken: false' in the service account definition.
Why this is correct
Setting this field to false on the service account prevents automatic mounting of the token in pods using that service account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the `automountServiceAccountToken` field with other security mechanisms like seccomp profiles or secret mounting annotations, or mistakenly think that setting it to `true` in the pod spec would disable mounting.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `automountServiceAccountToken` field can be set at both the pod spec and the service account level. When set to `false` on the service account, it applies to all pods using that service account unless overridden by the pod spec. This is important for security hardening because the default behavior in Kubernetes is to automatically mount the service account token, which can be exploited if a pod is compromised, allowing an attacker to access the Kubernetes API with the service account's permissions.
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 practitioner preparing for the CKS exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKS question in full detail.
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set 'automountServiceAccountToken: false' in the service account definition. — Option D is correct because setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` in the service account definition prevents pods that use that service account from automatically mounting the service account token. This is the recommended way to disable automatic token mounting at the service account level, as per Kubernetes security best practices.
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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Question Discussion
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