- A
validate with a deny condition
Using a validate rule with a deny condition can block pods that use images from unauthorized registries.
- B
mutate
Why wrong: Mutation would change the image, not validate it. You want to deny non-compliant images.
- C
validate.deny
Why wrong: validate.deny is not a standard Kyverno rule type. The correct type is validate with a deny condition.
- D
generate
Why wrong: Generate creates resources; it does not validate existing ones.
Question 469 of 997
Kyverno Validate Deny Rule for Trusted Registry
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of supply chain security. 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 Kubernetes cluster has Kyverno installed. You want to enforce that all container images come from a trusted registry 'trusted-registry.example.com'. Which Kyverno policy rule type would you use?
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
✓
validate with a deny condition
Option A is correct because Kyverno's `validate` rule type with a `deny` condition is specifically designed to reject resources that violate a policy. In this case, the policy would deny any Pod that references an image not matching the pattern `trusted-registry.example.com/*`, enforcing the trusted registry requirement at admission time.
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.
- ✓
validate with a deny condition
Why this is correct
Using a validate rule with a deny condition can block pods that use images from unauthorized registries.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
mutate
Why it's wrong here
Mutation would change the image, not validate it. You want to deny non-compliant images.
- ✗
validate.deny
Why it's wrong here
validate.deny is not a standard Kyverno rule type. The correct type is validate with a deny condition.
- ✗
generate
Why it's wrong here
Generate creates resources; it does not validate existing ones.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the `validate.deny` syntax (which does not exist) with the correct approach of using a `validate` rule containing a `deny` condition, often because other tools like OPA/Gatekeeper use a `deny` rule type directly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Kyverno uses admission webhooks (MutatingAdmissionWebhook and ValidatingAdmissionWebhook) to intercept API requests. A `validate` rule with a `deny` condition evaluates the resource against a CEL expression or pattern; if the condition is met, the admission request is rejected with a 403 Forbidden. In a real-world scenario, you might combine this with a `mutate` rule to automatically prepend the trusted registry for images that lack a registry, ensuring both compliance and convenience.
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.
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.
- →
Supply Chain Security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Supply Chain Security practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist CKS study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CKS question test?
Supply Chain Security — This question tests Supply Chain Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: validate with a deny condition — Option A is correct because Kyverno's `validate` rule type with a `deny` condition is specifically designed to reject resources that violate a policy. In this case, the policy would deny any Pod that references an image not matching the pattern `trusted-registry.example.com/*`, enforcing the trusted registry requirement at admission time.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on CKS
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A Kubernetes cluster has Kyverno installed. A policy requires that all images come from a trusted registry 'trusted.example.com'. A Deployment uses the image 'nginx:latest'. When the Deployment is created, it is blocked. What Kyverno policy action is being used?
medium- ✓ A.validate with failureAction: enforce
- B.audit
- C.mutate
- D.generate
Why A: The correct answer is A because Kyverno's `validate` policy with `failureAction: enforce` is the mechanism that blocks resource creation when validation rules are violated. In this scenario, the policy checks that the image comes from `trusted.example.com`, and since `nginx:latest` does not match, the policy actively denies the Deployment, which is the behavior of `enforce` mode.
Variation 2. A pod is running in a namespace that has a Kyverno policy requiring all images to come from a trusted registry. The pod is using an image from an untrusted registry. What will happen when the pod is created?
medium- A.The pod will be created but immediately terminated
- ✓ B.The pod creation will be rejected with an admission error
- C.The pod will be created and run successfully
- D.The pod will be created but the image will be replaced with a trusted one
Why B: Kyverno operates as an admission controller in Kubernetes. When a pod is created, the Kyverno admission webhook intercepts the creation request and evaluates it against the configured policies. If the policy requires all images to come from a trusted registry and the pod uses an image from an untrusted registry, the admission webhook rejects the request, preventing the pod from being created. This results in an admission error, not a post-creation termination.
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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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