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.
During a security audit, it was found that some pods have access to the host network. How can an administrator restrict host network access for all pods in the cluster?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable PodSecurity admission controller with baseline or restricted profile
Option B is correct because the PodSecurity admission controller (GA in Kubernetes v1.25+) enforces predefined security standards (baseline or restricted) that, among other restrictions, prevent pods from using `hostNetwork: true`. This is the recommended replacement for the deprecated PodSecurityPolicy and provides a built-in, cluster-wide mechanism to restrict host network access without requiring external tools.
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.
✗
Set --allow-privileged=false in kubelet configuration
Why it's wrong here
This flag is deprecated and does not specifically block host networking.
✓
Enable PodSecurity admission controller with baseline or restricted profile
Why this is correct
The baseline and restricted profiles forbid host networking, effectively restricting it cluster-wide.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable PodSecurityPolicy with 'hostNetwork: false'
Why it's wrong here
PodSecurityPolicy is deprecated and not available by default in newer versions.
✗
Create NetworkPolicies that deny traffic to host network
Why it's wrong here
NetworkPolicies cannot deny pods from using host network; they only filter traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the deprecation of PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) and expects candidates to know that the PodSecurity admission controller is the current and correct replacement, not the legacy PSP or network-level controls like NetworkPolicies.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The PodSecurity admission controller evaluates pods against the Pod Security Standards (PSS) defined in the Kubernetes documentation. The `restricted` profile explicitly forbids `hostNetwork: true` (as well as `hostPID`, `hostIPC`, and privileged containers), while the `baseline` profile allows it only with explicit exemptions. Under the hood, when a pod sets `hostNetwork: true`, its network namespace is the host's, so it can directly access host ports and interfaces, bypassing any CNI-based network policies.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKS question in full detail.
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: Enable PodSecurity admission controller with baseline or restricted profile — Option B is correct because the PodSecurity admission controller (GA in Kubernetes v1.25+) enforces predefined security standards (baseline or restricted) that, among other restrictions, prevent pods from using `hostNetwork: true`. This is the recommended replacement for the deprecated PodSecurityPolicy and provides a built-in, cluster-wide mechanism to restrict host network access without requiring external tools.
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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