CS0-003 Vulnerability Management Practice Question
This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of vulnerability management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: risk acceptance formally acknowledges unmitigated vulnerabilities.. 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 legacy system cannot be patched because the vendor no longer supports the application. What should the vulnerability manager request? For tool configuration, Which scanner or pipeline change most directly improves result quality?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Documented risk acceptance with compensating controls and a migration/remediation plan
Option B is correct because when a legacy system cannot be patched due to vendor end-of-life, the vulnerability manager must formally accept the risk through documented risk acceptance, implement compensating controls (e.g., network segmentation, host-based firewall rules, or application whitelisting), and create a migration or remediation plan to eventually retire or replace the system. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-53 risk management framework and ensures auditability and accountability for the unpatched vulnerability.
It is not fixed if the vulnerable condition remains.
✗
Remove the system from future reports
Why it's wrong here
Suppressing visibility hides unmanaged risk.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that removing a system from reports or marking a vulnerability as fixed is an acceptable shortcut, when in reality the correct process requires formal risk acceptance with compensating controls and a documented plan.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In vulnerability management, a documented risk acceptance typically includes a formal waiver signed by the asset owner and CISO, specifying the compensating controls (e.g., placing the system on an isolated VLAN with strict ACLs, disabling unnecessary services, or using a WAF to mitigate the specific CVE). The migration plan should include a timeline for decommissioning or upgrading, often tracked in a GRC tool like ServiceNow or Archer. Without this, the unpatched vulnerability remains a compliance finding under frameworks like PCI DSS or FedRAMP, which require either a patch or an approved compensating control.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CS0-003 question in full detail.
Review risk acceptance formally acknowledges unmitigated vulnerabilities., then practise related CS0-003 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
The correct answer is: Documented risk acceptance with compensating controls and a migration/remediation plan — Option B is correct because when a legacy system cannot be patched due to vendor end-of-life, the vulnerability manager must formally accept the risk through documented risk acceptance, implement compensating controls (e.g., network segmentation, host-based firewall rules, or application whitelisting), and create a migration or remediation plan to eventually retire or replace the system. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-53 risk management framework and ensures auditability and accountability for the unpatched vulnerability.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 question wrong?
Review risk acceptance formally acknowledges unmitigated vulnerabilities., then practise related CS0-003 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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