This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. 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.
An administrator discovers that a container has been running with root privileges despite a PodSecurityPolicy that should prevent it. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The PodSecurityPolicy admission controller is not enabled in the kube-apiserver.
Option C is correct because the PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) admission controller must be explicitly enabled in the kube-apiserver's `--enable-admission-plugins` flag. Without it, PSP resources are stored in etcd but never enforced, allowing any pod to run with root privileges regardless of PSP definitions.
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.
✗
The PodSecurityPolicy is applied in the wrong order and a less restrictive policy overrides it.
Why it's wrong here
PSP ordering is alphabetical and the most restrictive policy that allows the pod is used; a misorder would not cause root.
✗
The pod's service account lacks RBAC permissions to use the PSP.
Why it's wrong here
RBAC permissions are required but if the admission controller is missing, PSPs are not evaluated.
✓
The PodSecurityPolicy admission controller is not enabled in the kube-apiserver.
Why this is correct
Without the admission controller, PSPs are not enforced regardless of RBAC.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The PodSecurityPolicy resource is misconfigured with an empty allowPrivilegeEscalation field.
Why it's wrong here
An empty field defaults to false, which would deny privilege escalation, not allow it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the distinction between creating a policy resource and actually enabling the admission controller that enforces it, tricking candidates into focusing on RBAC or policy content rather than the fundamental admission plugin flag.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The PSP admission controller intercepts pod creation requests and validates them against available PSPs. If the controller is not listed in `--enable-admission-plugins` (e.g., `kube-apiserver --enable-admission-plugins=NodeRestriction,PodSecurityPolicy`), the kube-apiserver ignores PSP objects entirely. This is a common misconfiguration during cluster setup, as PSPs were deprecated in Kubernetes v1.21 and removed in v1.25, but many legacy clusters still rely on them.
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 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.
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: The PodSecurityPolicy admission controller is not enabled in the kube-apiserver. — Option C is correct because the PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) admission controller must be explicitly enabled in the kube-apiserver's `--enable-admission-plugins` flag. Without it, PSP resources are stored in etcd but never enforced, allowing any pod to run with root privileges regardless of PSP definitions.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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