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CAS-004 Practice Question: Is reviewing a Kubernetes deployment where the…
A security engineer is reviewing a Kubernetes deployment where the pod spec includes `securityContext: { privileged: true }`. What is the primary security concern of this configuration?
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
✓
The container can modify the host's kernel
Privileged containers have almost all capabilities of the host, including access to host devices and kernel modules. This significantly increases the attack surface compared to running as root alone.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The container can access host resources like the filesystem
Why it's wrong here
While true, this is a subset of privileged access; the primary concern is broader kernel access.
- ✗
The container can run as root
Why it's wrong here
Running as root is dangerous but not as severe as privileged mode.
- ✗
The container has unrestricted network access
Why it's wrong here
Network access is controlled separately; privileged mode primarily affects host kernel interactions.
- ✓
The container can modify the host's kernel
Why this is correct
Privileged mode grants direct access to host kernel functions and devices.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-005 exam.