This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. 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 admission plugin should be enabled to ensure that kubelet only serves pods bound to its node and prevents unauthorized node access?
NodeRestriction
This plugin restricts kubelet permissions to pods on its own node.
AlwaysPullImages
Why wrong: This plugin ensures images are always pulled, not related to node security.
NodeAffinity
Why wrong: NodeAffinity is a scheduling feature, not an admission plugin.
PodSecurityPolicy
Why wrong: Deprecated in favor of Pod Security Admission.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
NodeRestriction
The NodeRestriction admission plugin ensures that the kubelet only serves pods bound to its node by limiting the kubelet's ability to modify labels and taints on its own Node object, and by preventing the kubelet from modifying pods not scheduled to its node. This plugin is a key security control to prevent unauthorized node access and enforce the principle of least privilege for kubelet operations.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
NodeRestriction
Why this is correct
This plugin restricts kubelet permissions to pods on its own node.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AlwaysPullImages
Why it's wrong here
This plugin ensures images are always pulled, not related to node security.
NodeAffinity
Why it's wrong here
NodeAffinity is a scheduling feature, not an admission plugin.
PodSecurityPolicy
Why it's wrong here
Deprecated in favor of Pod Security Admission.
Common exam traps
CNCF often tests the distinction between admission plugins that control pod-level security (like PodSecurityPolicy) versus those that control node-level authorization (like NodeRestriction), leading candidates to confuse PodSecurityPolicy as the answer for node access control.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the NodeRestriction plugin works by intercepting kubelet API requests and verifying that the kubelet's credentials (typically from its TLS certificate) match the node name in the request. It specifically denies attempts to modify pods not assigned to that node, and restricts label/taint modifications to a whitelist (e.g., `node.kubernetes.io/` prefix). In a real-world scenario, without NodeRestriction, a compromised kubelet could impersonate another node or modify arbitrary pods, leading to privilege escalation across the cluster.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: NodeRestriction — The NodeRestriction admission plugin ensures that the kubelet only serves pods bound to its node by limiting the kubelet's ability to modify labels and taints on its own Node object, and by preventing the kubelet from modifying pods not scheduled to its node. This plugin is a key security control to prevent unauthorized node access and enforce the principle of least privilege for kubelet operations.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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