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CAS-004 Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit

Exhibit

# kubectl describe pod my-app-pod
Name:         my-app-pod
Namespace:    default
Node:         worker-node-1/192.168.1.10
Start Time:   Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:30:00 UTC
Labels:       app=my-app
Annotations:  none
Status:       Running
Containers:
  my-app-container:
    Container ID:   docker://abc123
    Image:          myregistry.com/my-app:v1.0
    Image ID:       docker-pullable://myregistry.com/my-app@sha256:xyz
    Port:           8080/TCP
    Host Port:      0/TCP
    State:          Running
    Started:        Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:30:05 UTC
    Ready:          True
    Restart Count:  0
    Environment:
      DB_PASSWORD:   <set to the key 'db-password' in secret 'db-secret'>  Optional: false
    Mounts:
      /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount from default-token-abc (ro)

Refer to the exhibit. A security analyst notices that the pod is running with a service account token mounted. Which security best practice should be implemented to reduce the risk of token theft in container environments?

⚠ Common exam trap

CAS-005 often tests the misconception that storing tokens in secrets or using different runtimes improves security, but the most direct mitigation is to not mount the token at all.

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

✓

Set automountServiceAccountToken to false in the pod spec.

Setting automountServiceAccountToken to false in the pod spec prevents the default service account token from being automatically mounted into the pod's filesystem. This reduces the risk of token theft because the token is not present unless explicitly mounted. This is a Kubernetes security best practice for pods that do not need to interact with the Kubernetes API.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Store the token in a Kubernetes secret and mount it.

    Why it's wrong here

    Mounting a long-lived token via a Kubernetes secret still exposes a static credential to any container compromise, so theft risk is unchanged. Secrets suit distributing configuration data or certificates, not replacing short-lived, audience-bound projected service account tokens.

  • ✗

    Use a different container runtime.

    Why it's wrong here

    The runtime (containerd, CRI-O) executes containers; it does not govern token projection or mounting, so swapping it leaves the mounted credential exposed. Runtime selection matters for isolation hardening such as gVisor or Kata, not for service account token exposure.

  • ✗

    Disable the service account for the pod.

    Why it's wrong here

    Disabling the service account removes all pod identity, breaking legitimate API authentication rather than reducing theft risk. It is tempting because unused credentials should be eliminated, which is correct when a pod genuinely needs no cluster API access at all.

  • ✓

    Set automountServiceAccountToken to false in the pod spec.

    Why this is correct

    Setting automountServiceAccountToken to false stops Kubernetes projecting the service account token into the pod's filesystem, so a compromised container cannot read or exfiltrate it. This directly satisfies the requirement to reduce token theft risk by removing the credential from the pod entirely.

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JA

Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint

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.