CKS Supply Chain Security Practice Question
An administrator runs 'trivy image --severity HIGH,CRITICAL myapp:v1.0' and sees no vulnerabilities. However, a security scan of the same image using a different tool reports several HIGH severity CVEs. What is the MOST likely reason for this discrepancy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates may mistakenly think Trivy ignores base images or cannot handle private registries, when the real issue is an outdated CVE database. This discrepancy highlights that vulnerability scanners are only as good as their database freshness.
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
✓
The image was scanned with an outdated vulnerability database
Trivy relies on a local vulnerability database (e.g., the `trivy-db` or `trivy-java-db`) that must be regularly updated to include the latest CVE entries. If the database is outdated, Trivy will not detect recently published HIGH or CRITICAL vulnerabilities, even if they exist in the image. This is the most likely reason for the discrepancy, as a different tool may have a more current database.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Trivy only scans the application layer and ignores the base image
Why it's wrong here
Trivy scans OS packages and language dependencies in every layer, including the base image, so this claim is false. It is tempting because Trivy does distinguish application dependencies from OS packages, but both are covered; the real discrepancy usually stems from differing vulnerability databases or detection methods.
- ✓
The image was scanned with an outdated vulnerability database
Why this is correct
Trivy's detection depends on its local vulnerability database. If that database is stale, newly published CVEs affecting the image's packages are absent from results, while a tool with a current feed flags them. Updating the database resolves the discrepancy.
- ✗
Trivy cannot scan images stored in private registries
Why it's wrong here
Trivy authenticates to private registries using Docker config, environment variables or flags, so it scans them without issue. It is tempting because registry access failures do cause empty results, but the stem shows a successful scan returning no findings, not an authentication error.
- ✗
The other tool has false positives
Why it's wrong here
Assuming the other tool reports false positives is speculative and ignores that Trivy's database may simply lack the CVE or its severity rating differs. It is tempting because false positives do occur in scanners, but that scenario requires evidence, not assumption, and does not explain systematic HIGH findings.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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