This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
After running kube-bench, you see a failing check: '1.1.1 Ensure that the API server pod specification file permissions are set to 600 or more restrictive'. What is the remediation?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change permissions of /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml to 600
Check 1.1.1 from kube-bench specifically targets the API server pod specification file, which is located at /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml. The remediation is to set its permissions to 600 or more restrictive to prevent unauthorized read or write access, as this file contains critical configuration parameters for the API server.
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.
✗
Change permissions of /var/lib/kubelet/config.yaml to 600
Why it's wrong here
That is the kubelet configuration file.
✗
Change permissions of /var/log/audit.log to 600
Why it's wrong here
That file is for audit logs, not the API server pod spec.
✓
Change permissions of /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml to 600
Why this is correct
This file contains the API server's static pod definition; restrictive permissions prevent unauthorized changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change permissions of /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-controller-manager.yaml to 600
Why it's wrong here
That file is for the controller manager, not the API server.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the exact mapping between kube-bench check IDs and their corresponding file paths, so the trap here is confusing the API server pod spec file with other static pod manifests (like controller-manager) or configuration files (like kubelet config or audit logs).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The API server pod specification file is a static pod manifest that the kubelet reads to launch the API server container. Setting permissions to 600 (owner read/write only) ensures that only the root user can modify this file, preventing privilege escalation or configuration tampering. In a real-world scenario, if this file were world-readable, an attacker with low-privilege access could extract sensitive flags like --token-auth-file or --client-ca-file paths, or even inject malicious flags to disable authentication.
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: Change permissions of /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml to 600 — Check 1.1.1 from kube-bench specifically targets the API server pod specification file, which is located at /etc/kubernetes/manifests/kube-apiserver.yaml. The remediation is to set its permissions to 600 or more restrictive to prevent unauthorized read or write access, as this file contains critical configuration parameters for the API server.
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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