- A
Host network access (hostNetwork) is not allowed
Correct. Baseline prohibits hostNetwork to prevent direct host network access.
- B
Capabilities must be limited to a minimal set (drop: ["ALL"] is not required but must not add dangerous capabilities)
Correct. Baseline restricts capabilities to a default set and prohibits adding dangerous capabilities; dropping all is not required.
- C
Seccomp profile must be set to RuntimeDefault or Localhost
Why wrong: Incorrect. Seccomp profile configuration is required by the restricted profile, not baseline.
- D
Privilege escalation must be disabled (AllowPrivilegeEscalation: false)
Correct. Baseline requires AllowPrivilegeEscalation to be false to prevent privilege escalation.
- E
Containers must run as non-root (runAsNonRoot: true)
Why wrong: Incorrect. runAsNonRoot is a requirement of the restricted profile; baseline does not require non-root users.
Baseline Pod Security Standard — Key Restrictions Explained | Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist Explained
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of system 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.
Which THREE of the following are restrictions enforced by the 'baseline' Pod Security Standard? (Select three.)
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
Host network access (hostNetwork) is not allowed
The 'baseline' Pod Security Standard (PSS) enforces several restrictions to provide a reasonable level of security without breaking most workloads. The three correct restrictions are: - B: Capabilities must be limited to a minimal set. While the baseline profile does not require dropping all capabilities (drop: ["ALL"]), it prohibits adding dangerous capabilities such as CAP_SYS_ADMIN, CAP_NET_RAW, or CAP_SYS_PTRACE. This prevents escalation of privileges through capability misuse. - D: Privilege escalation must be disabled (AllowPrivilegeEscalation: false). This is a baseline requirement to prevent processes from gaining more privileges than their parent. - E: Containers must run as non-root. The baseline policy ensures that containers do not run as the root user. This is enforced by requiring that the container's security context either sets runAsNonRoot: true or sets runAsUser to a non-zero value. Therefore, the condition of running as non-root is a baseline restriction. Note: The 'restricted' profile adds additional constraints such as mandatory seccomp profiles and explicit runAsNonRoot: true. The baseline profile is less strict but still enforces essential security measures.
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.
- ✓
Host network access (hostNetwork) is not allowed
Why this is correct
Correct. Baseline prohibits hostNetwork to prevent direct host network access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Capabilities must be limited to a minimal set (drop: ["ALL"] is not required but must not add dangerous capabilities)
Why this is correct
Correct. Baseline restricts capabilities to a default set and prohibits adding dangerous capabilities; dropping all is not required.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Seccomp profile must be set to RuntimeDefault or Localhost
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Seccomp profile configuration is required by the restricted profile, not baseline.
- ✓
Privilege escalation must be disabled (AllowPrivilegeEscalation: false)
Why this is correct
Correct. Baseline requires AllowPrivilegeEscalation to be false to prevent privilege escalation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Containers must run as non-root (runAsNonRoot: true)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. runAsNonRoot is a requirement of the restricted profile; baseline does not require non-root users.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The CKS exam often tests the distinction between baseline and restricted profiles, and the trap here is that candidates confuse the baseline's capability restriction (which only blocks dangerous capabilities, not all) with the restricted profile's stricter requirement to drop all capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Pod Security Standards are defined in the Kubernetes documentation as three profiles: privileged, baseline, and restricted. The baseline profile is designed to be minimally restrictive while preventing known privilege escalations. Under the hood, the baseline profile enforces `AllowPrivilegeEscalation: false` and `runAsNonRoot: true` by default, but it does not block hostNetwork or require a seccomp profile. A real-world scenario: a CI/CD pipeline using the baseline profile can run containers with hostNetwork for debugging without violating policy, but cannot run with CAP_SYS_ADMIN.
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.
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.
- →
System Hardening — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
System Hardening practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All CKS questions
997 questions across all exam domains
- →
Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist CKS study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
CKS practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related CKS practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Monitoring Logging and Runtime Security practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Monitoring Logging and Runtime Security.
Cluster Setup and Hardening practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Cluster Setup and Hardening.
System Hardening practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to System Hardening.
Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities.
Supply Chain Security practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Supply Chain Security.
Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security.
Cluster Setup practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Cluster Setup.
Cluster Hardening practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to Cluster Hardening.
CKS fundamentals practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to CKS fundamentals.
CKS scenario practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to CKS scenario.
CKS troubleshooting practice questions
Practise CKS questions linked to CKS troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free CKS practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Host network access (hostNetwork) is not allowed — The 'baseline' Pod Security Standard (PSS) enforces several restrictions to provide a reasonable level of security without breaking most workloads. The three correct restrictions are: - B: Capabilities must be limited to a minimal set. While the baseline profile does not require dropping all capabilities (drop: ["ALL"]), it prohibits adding dangerous capabilities such as CAP_SYS_ADMIN, CAP_NET_RAW, or CAP_SYS_PTRACE. This prevents escalation of privileges through capability misuse. - D: Privilege escalation must be disabled (AllowPrivilegeEscalation: false). This is a baseline requirement to prevent processes from gaining more privileges than their parent. - E: Containers must run as non-root. The baseline policy ensures that containers do not run as the root user. This is enforced by requiring that the container's security context either sets runAsNonRoot: true or sets runAsUser to a non-zero value. Therefore, the condition of running as non-root is a baseline restriction. Note: The 'restricted' profile adds additional constraints such as mandatory seccomp profiles and explicit runAsNonRoot: true. The baseline profile is less strict but still enforces essential security measures.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More CKS practice questions
- Which flag is used to restrict the kubelet's ability to modify node status and pods?
- A Falco rule has priority `WARNING` and output: `Sensitive file opened (user=%user.name command=%proc.cmdline file=%fd.n…
- Falco detects a shell being opened inside a container. Which Falco rule field is used to specify the syscall condition f…
- A security audit reveals that a ServiceAccount named 'monitor' has a ClusterRoleBinding to the cluster-admin role. What…
- Match each Kubernetes security component to its description.
- Match each Kubernetes certificate type to its usage.
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.