This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of vulnerability management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: sCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components.. 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.
A development team wants to find vulnerable open-source libraries before deployment. Which control best fits this stage? For business prioritization, Which recommendation gives the best risk-based order of work?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Database transaction log backups
Why wrong: Backups do not identify vulnerable libraries.
Physical badge access reviews
Why wrong: Badge reviews do not assess software components.
Wireless spectrum analysis
Why wrong: Spectrum analysis is unrelated to application dependencies.
Software composition analysis in the CI/CD pipeline
SCA identifies vulnerable third-party dependencies and can gate builds before release.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Software composition analysis in the CI/CD pipeline
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is the correct control because it specifically scans open-source libraries for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) and license compliance issues. Integrating SCA into the CI/CD pipeline ensures vulnerabilities are detected and blocked before the code is deployed, aligning with the 'shift left' security principle. This directly addresses the team's goal of finding vulnerable open-source libraries pre-deployment.
Key principle: SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Database transaction log backups
Why it's wrong here
Backups do not identify vulnerable libraries.
Physical badge access reviews
Why it's wrong here
Badge reviews do not assess software components.
Wireless spectrum analysis
Why it's wrong here
Spectrum analysis is unrelated to application dependencies.
Software composition analysis in the CI/CD pipeline
Why this is correct
SCA identifies vulnerable third-party dependencies and can gate builds before release.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the concept that 'shift left' security controls like SCA are distinct from operational or physical security controls, and the trap here is confusing vulnerability scanning of code with unrelated security processes like backups or physical access reviews.
Detailed technical explanation
SCA tools work by generating a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) from dependency manifests (e.g., pom.xml, package.json) and cross-referencing each component against databases like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) or GitHub Advisory Database. A real-world scenario is the Log4Shell vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228), where SCA in the CI/CD pipeline could have flagged the vulnerable Log4j version before deployment, preventing widespread exploitation. Subtle behavior includes transitive dependency scanning, where SCA must recursively resolve nested dependencies to catch vulnerabilities hidden two or more levels deep.
Key takeaway
SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components.
Real-world example
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
Review sCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components., then practise related CS0-003 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Vulnerability Management — This question tests Vulnerability Management — SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components..
The correct answer is: Software composition analysis in the CI/CD pipeline — Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is the correct control because it specifically scans open-source libraries for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) and license compliance issues. Integrating SCA into the CI/CD pipeline ensures vulnerabilities are detected and blocked before the code is deployed, aligning with the 'shift left' security principle. This directly addresses the team's goal of finding vulnerable open-source libraries pre-deployment.
Review sCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components., then practise related CS0-003 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
SCA identifies known vulnerabilities in third-party and open-source components.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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