CV0-004 Security Practice Question
A cloud security team is implementing the principle of least privilege for IAM roles. Which TWO actions are consistent with this principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests the difference between least privilege and convenience — candidates may pick 'full admin to simplify management' because it sounds operationally efficient, but it directly contradicts the principle.
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
✓
Regularly review and revoke unused permissions
Option B is correct because regularly reviewing and revoking unused permissions enforces least privilege over time, eliminating accumulated or stale entitlements that could be exploited. Option C is correct because creating custom roles scoped to only the specific permissions each job function requires directly embodies least privilege, granting no more access than necessary. Option A is wrong because granting full administrative access to all users violates least privilege by massively over-provisioning rights. Option D is wrong because wildcard (*) permissions allow all actions on a resource, which is the opposite of narrowly scoped access. Option E is wrong because assigning root user access to all developers grants the most privileged account to many people, directly contradicting least privilege.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Grant full administrative access to all users to simplify management
Why it's wrong here
Blanket administrative rights remove the per-role scoping that least privilege demands, so every user could alter or delete any resource. It is tempting as a way to cut permission-management effort, and would fit a small trusted lab where speed outweighs blast-radius control.
- ✓
Regularly review and revoke unused permissions
Why this is correct
Regularly reviewing and revoking unused permissions enforces least privilege by continuously shrinking each IAM role's effective permissions. This satisfies the stem's constraint because stale, unused grants are removed rather than left accumulating, limiting the blast radius if credentials are compromised.
- ✓
Create custom roles with only the specific permissions needed for each job function
Why this is correct
Custom roles containing only the permissions each job function requires directly implement least privilege by avoiding broad managed policies. This satisfies the stem's constraint because every granted permission maps to a genuine task need, minimising excessive access across IAM roles.
- ✗
Use wildcard (*) permissions to allow all actions on a resource
Why it's wrong here
Wildcard permissions grant every action on a resource, directly contradicting least privilege, which requires only the specific actions each role needs. It is tempting because wildcards speed up initial configuration, and they would be the correct choice for a deliberately broad administrative or break-glass role, not a least-privilege one.
- ✗
Assign root user access to all developers
Why it's wrong here
Root credentials bypass all IAM policies and cannot be constrained by role boundaries, so granting them to developers eliminates any least-privilege restriction. It appeals when teams hit permission errors, and would suit a break-glass recovery account used only for account-level emergencies.
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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 CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.