- A
MutatingAdmissionWebhook
MutatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that can intercept and modify API requests before they are persisted. In the context of supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as injecting sidecar proxies, adding image pull secrets, or modifying pod specifications to ensure compliance with trusted registries. This helps prevent the deployment of untrusted or tampered images.
- B
ResourceQuota
Why wrong: ResourceQuota is indeed an admission controller, but it is used for enforcing resource limits and quotas, not directly for supply chain security. Supply chain security focuses on policies like image provenance, vulnerability scanning, and deployment restrictions, which are better addressed by controllers like MutatingAdmissionWebhook, ValidatingAdmissionWebhook, and PodSecurity.
- C
ValidatingAdmissionWebhook
ValidatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that validates API requests without modifying them. In supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as verifying that images come from trusted registries or that pods have required security contexts, thus ensuring compliance before resources are persisted.
- D
PodSecurity
PodSecurity is a built-in admission controller that enforces the Pod Security Standards (baseline, restricted, privileged). In supply chain security, it helps prevent the deployment of pods with insecure configurations, such as running as root or allowing privilege escalation, thereby reducing the attack surface.
- E
PersistentVolumeClaim
Why wrong: PersistentVolumeClaim is not an admission controller; it is a Kubernetes resource used to request storage. It does not participate in the admission flow and thus cannot enforce any policies related to supply chain security.
Which Admission Controllers Are Valid for Supply Chain Security in Kubernetes?
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of supply chain security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 valid admission controllers involved in the Kubernetes admission flow that can be used for supply chain security?
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
MutatingAdmissionWebhook
MutatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that can intercept and modify API requests before they are persisted. In the context of supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as injecting sidecar proxies, adding image pull secrets, or modifying pod specifications to ensure compliance with trusted registries. This helps prevent the deployment of untrusted or tampered images.
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.
- ✓
MutatingAdmissionWebhook
Why this is correct
MutatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that can intercept and modify API requests before they are persisted. In the context of supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as injecting sidecar proxies, adding image pull secrets, or modifying pod specifications to ensure compliance with trusted registries. This helps prevent the deployment of untrusted or tampered images.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
ResourceQuota
Why it's wrong here
ResourceQuota is indeed an admission controller, but it is used for enforcing resource limits and quotas, not directly for supply chain security. Supply chain security focuses on policies like image provenance, vulnerability scanning, and deployment restrictions, which are better addressed by controllers like MutatingAdmissionWebhook, ValidatingAdmissionWebhook, and PodSecurity.
- ✓
ValidatingAdmissionWebhook
Why this is correct
ValidatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that validates API requests without modifying them. In supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as verifying that images come from trusted registries or that pods have required security contexts, thus ensuring compliance before resources are persisted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
PodSecurity
Why this is correct
PodSecurity is a built-in admission controller that enforces the Pod Security Standards (baseline, restricted, privileged). In supply chain security, it helps prevent the deployment of pods with insecure configurations, such as running as root or allowing privilege escalation, thereby reducing the attack surface.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
PersistentVolumeClaim
Why it's wrong here
PersistentVolumeClaim is not an admission controller; it is a Kubernetes resource used to request storage. It does not participate in the admission flow and thus cannot enforce any policies related to supply chain security.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The CKS exam often tests the distinction between admission controllers that enforce security policies (like MutatingAdmissionWebhook, ValidatingAdmissionWebhook, and PodSecurity) versus resource management controllers (like ResourceQuota) or plain resources (like PersistentVolumeClaim), leading candidates to mistakenly select non-security controllers.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
MutatingAdmissionWebhooks operate by sending AdmissionReview requests to an external HTTPS endpoint, which can modify the object (e.g., adding annotations or labels) before it is validated. In supply chain security, a webhook can enforce that all images come from an allowed registry by mutating the image field or rejecting requests that reference untrusted sources. This is often combined with image signature verification using tools like Cosign or Notary.
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 practitioner preparing for the CKS exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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
- →
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?
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: MutatingAdmissionWebhook — MutatingAdmissionWebhook is a valid admission controller that can intercept and modify API requests before they are persisted. In the context of supply chain security, it can be used to enforce policies such as injecting sidecar proxies, adding image pull secrets, or modifying pod specifications to ensure compliance with trusted registries. This helps prevent the deployment of untrusted or tampered images.
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
3 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. Which TWO of the following admission controllers are relevant for supply chain security in Kubernetes?
hard- A.MutatingAdmissionWebhook (for sidecar injection)
- ✓ B.ImagePolicyWebhook
- C.AlwaysPullImages
- D.NodeRestriction
- ✓ E.ValidatingAdmissionWebhook (used by Kyverno/Gatekeeper)
Why B: The ImagePolicyWebhook admission controller is correct because it intercepts Pod creation requests and validates container images against an external policy engine (e.g., OPA/Conftest) to enforce supply chain security controls, such as requiring images to be signed, from trusted registries, or with specific digests. This directly addresses the risk of deploying unverified or tampered images, a core supply chain threat.
Variation 2. Which TWO of the following are valid admission controllers in Kubernetes? (Select TWO)
medium- A.PodSecurityPolicy
- ✓ B.MutatingAdmissionWebhook
- ✓ C.ImagePolicyWebhook
- D.NodeRestriction
- E.OPA
Why B: Option B, MutatingAdmissionWebhook, is a valid admission controller that intercepts API requests and can modify them before they are persisted. It is part of the dynamic admission control mechanism, allowing external webhooks to mutate objects. Option C, ImagePolicyWebhook, is also a valid admission controller that enforces image policy checks by querying an external webhook before admitting a pod, making it a key component for supply chain security.
Variation 3. Which THREE are valid admission controllers in Kubernetes? (Select three.)
medium- A.ServiceAccount
- B.NetworkPolicy
- ✓ C.ImagePolicyWebhook
- ✓ D.MutatingAdmissionWebhook
- ✓ E.PodSecurity
Why C: ImagePolicyWebhook is a valid admission controller that allows an external webhook to validate container images against a policy before they are admitted into the cluster. It is part of Kubernetes' supply chain security controls, enabling checks such as image signature verification or registry allowlisting.
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.