- A
capabilities: drop: "ALL"
Why wrong: Drop value must be a list.
- B
capabilities: drop: - "NET_RAW"
Why wrong: This drops only one capability, not all.
- C
capabilities: add: ["ALL"]
Why wrong: This adds all capabilities, which is the opposite of dropping them.
- D
capabilities: drop: ["ALL"]
This drops all capabilities, which is a security best practice.
Question 448 of 997
How to Drop All Capabilities Using drop: ["ALL"]
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of minimize microservice vulnerabilities. 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.
A security admin wants to ensure all pods in a cluster drop ALL Linux capabilities. Which of the following YAML snippets should be added to a PodSecurityPolicy (assuming PSP is enabled) or a pod spec?
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
✓
capabilities: drop: ["ALL"]
Option D is correct because dropping all Linux capabilities from a container is achieved by specifying `drop: ["ALL"]` in the PodSecurityPolicy or pod security context. This ensures the container runs with no capabilities, following the principle of least privilege. The correct syntax uses a YAML list (array) for the `drop` field, not a string.
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.
- ✗
capabilities: drop: "ALL"
Why it's wrong here
Drop value must be a list.
- ✗
capabilities: drop: - "NET_RAW"
Why it's wrong here
This drops only one capability, not all.
- ✗
capabilities: add: ["ALL"]
Why it's wrong here
This adds all capabilities, which is the opposite of dropping them.
- ✓
capabilities: drop: ["ALL"]
Why this is correct
This drops all capabilities, which is a security best practice.
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 confuse the YAML syntax for dropping capabilities (must be a list) with a string value, or they think dropping a single capability like NET_RAW is sufficient to remove all capabilities. Also, note that PodSecurityPolicy is deprecated in Kubernetes 1.21 and removed in 1.25, so for newer clusters, use Pod Security Admission or a pod security context.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Linux capabilities break down root privileges into distinct units (e.g., CAP_NET_RAW, CAP_SYS_ADMIN). Dropping all capabilities with `drop: ["ALL"]` effectively removes every capability, including those that might be added by default (e.g., in Docker containers). This is enforced by the kernel's capability bounding set, and the container process will have no special privileges, even if run as root. In a PodSecurityPolicy context, this setting is part of the `spec.requiredDropCapabilities` field, which can enforce that all pods drop specific capabilities.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CKS question test?
Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities — This question tests Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: capabilities: drop: ["ALL"] — Option D is correct because dropping all Linux capabilities from a container is achieved by specifying `drop: ["ALL"]` in the PodSecurityPolicy or pod security context. This ensures the container runs with no capabilities, following the principle of least privilege. The correct syntax uses a YAML list (array) for the `drop` field, not a string.
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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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.
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