The correct answer is that the source zone is not permitted, as the firewall policy misconfiguration stems from the Remote-Admin rule only allowing traffic from the vpn zone while SSH attempts originate from the untrust zone. This occurs because firewalls enforce implicit deny by default—if a packet’s source zone does not match any explicit permit rule, the traffic is dropped regardless of correct destination or application settings. On the CompTIA SecurityX CAS-004 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of zone-based policy enforcement, a common trap where candidates focus on destination IPs or services instead of verifying the source zone in the rule. Remember that a firewall policy is a tuple of source zone, destination zone, and service; missing any one element causes denial. Memory tip: “Zone first, then service—if the zone’s not listed, the packet is dismissed.”
CAS-004 Security Engineering Practice Question
This CAS-004 practice question tests your understanding of security engineering. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
show security policies
Policy Name: Web-Server-Access
Source Zone: untrust
Dest Zone: dmz
Source Address: any
Dest Address: 10.1.1.100
Application: http, https
Action: permit
Log: session-init
Policy Name: Remote-Admin
Source Zone: vpn
Dest Zone: mgmt
Source Address: 10.2.2.0/24
Dest Address: 192.168.1.1
Application: ssh, https
Action: permit
Log: session-close
The security engineer notices that SSH login attempts to 192.168.1.1 from the untrust zone are being blocked. Which policy misconfiguration is MOST likely causing this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The source zone is not permitted
The Remote-Admin policy only permits traffic from the vpn zone, not untrust. Therefore, SSH attempts from untrust are implicitly denied by the firewall's default deny policy. The destination address and application are correctly specified. The log setting does not affect access. A policy for SSH from untrust is missing.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 application is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
SSH is listed in the application field, so it is correct.
✓
The source zone is not permitted
Why this is correct
The policy only allows source zone vpn; untrust is not allowed, causing the block.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The log setting prevents connections
Why it's wrong here
Log settings only affect logging, not access decisions.
✗
The destination address is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
The destination address 192.168.1.1 is correct for the remote admin.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CAS-004 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Engineering — This question tests Security Engineering — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The source zone is not permitted — The Remote-Admin policy only permits traffic from the vpn zone, not untrust. Therefore, SSH attempts from untrust are implicitly denied by the firewall's default deny policy. The destination address and application are correctly specified. The log setting does not affect access. A policy for SSH from untrust is missing.
What should I do if I get this CAS-004 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CAS-004 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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