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. 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.
A security analyst at a financial institution is responsible for vulnerability management. The company has a policy that all critical vulnerabilities must be remediated within 72 hours. The weekly vulnerability scan identifies a critical vulnerability on a file server that hosts sensitive customer data. The vulnerability is a remote code execution in the operating system. The server is running a legacy OS that is no longer supported by the vendor. The system owner states that the application on the server cannot be migrated to a newer OS for at least six months. The server cannot be taken offline because it is used by the compliance team for daily audits. Which of the following should the analyst recommend to best address the risk?
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.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Remove the server from the network immediately.
Why wrong: Would disrupt compliance audits.
Implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and host-based firewall rules.
Reduces risk while awaiting migration.
Accept the risk and document the exception.
Why wrong: Does not meet the 72-hour remediation policy.
Apply a custom patch developed by the manufacturer.
Why wrong: Vendor no longer supports the OS; custom patch unlikely.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and host-based firewall rules.
Option B is correct because when a critical vulnerability cannot be patched due to legacy OS constraints, compensating controls are the best approach to reduce risk. Network segmentation isolates the server from untrusted hosts, and host-based firewall rules restrict inbound/outbound traffic to only necessary ports and IPs, mitigating the remote code execution vector without taking the server offline.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Remove the server from the network immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Would disrupt compliance audits.
Implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and host-based firewall rules.
Why this is correct
Reduces risk while awaiting migration.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Accept the risk and document the exception.
Why it's wrong here
Does not meet the 72-hour remediation policy.
Apply a custom patch developed by the manufacturer.
Why it's wrong here
Vendor no longer supports the OS; custom patch unlikely.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the concept that compensating controls are the appropriate response when patching is impossible and business continuity is critical, tricking candidates into choosing risk acceptance (C) without considering that compensating controls must be implemented first.
Detailed technical explanation
Compensating controls for legacy systems often include placing the server in a dedicated VLAN with strict ACLs that permit only specific management and application traffic, and using a host-based firewall (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security or iptables) to block all ports except those required for compliance tool communication. In real-world scenarios, organizations also deploy an intrusion prevention system (IPS) inline to detect and block exploit attempts targeting the unpatched vulnerability, and they may use application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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
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FAQ
Vulnerability Management — This question tests Vulnerability Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Implement compensating controls such as network segmentation and host-based firewall rules. — Option B is correct because when a critical vulnerability cannot be patched due to legacy OS constraints, compensating controls are the best approach to reduce risk. Network segmentation isolates the server from untrusted hosts, and host-based firewall rules restrict inbound/outbound traffic to only necessary ports and IPs, mitigating the remote code execution vector without taking the server offline.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best", "least". 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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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