easyMultiple Choice
CS0-003 Practice Question: A security analyst is reviewing vulnerability…
A security analyst is reviewing vulnerability scan results and notices that several critical vulnerabilities have been reported on the same web server for three consecutive months. The server owner states that the patches cannot be applied due to application compatibility issues. Which of the following is the BEST course of action?
⚠ Common exam trap
The CS0-004 exam often tests the misconception that rescanning (Option C) is the correct next step, but the trap here is that rescanning does not change the risk posture—it only confirms what is already known, while the question requires a risk-reducing action.
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
✓
Implement compensating controls to reduce the risk
When a known vulnerability cannot be patched due to application compatibility issues, the standard risk management approach is to implement compensating controls. These controls (e.g., Web Application Firewall rules, network segmentation, or host-based IPS) reduce the likelihood or impact of exploitation without modifying the vulnerable application. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-40 Rev. 4 guidance on vulnerability handling, which explicitly recommends compensating controls when patching is not feasible.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to senior management and move on
Why it's wrong here
While escalating issues to senior management is a necessary step in the vulnerability management process, simply reporting and then "moving on" without proposing or implementing any immediate mitigation strategies is not a best practice for a security analyst. This approach abdicates the analyst's responsibility to actively reduce risk and leaves the organization exposed to known threats without any immediate protective measures. An analyst should always strive to provide actionable recommendations or temporary fixes, even if full remediation requires higher-level approval or resources.
- ✗
Remove the web server from service until patches are applied
Why it's wrong here
Removing a critical web server from service is an extreme measure that can severely disrupt business continuity, availability, and potentially cause significant financial losses or reputational damage. This action should only be considered as a last resort when the identified vulnerability poses an immediate, catastrophic threat and no less disruptive mitigation strategies, such as implementing compensating controls or network segmentation, are feasible or effective in the short term. It disproportionately prioritizes security over operational needs without exploring alternatives.
- ✗
Schedule a rescan to verify if the vulnerabilities still exist
Why it's wrong here
Scheduling a rescan immediately after identifying vulnerabilities is premature and inefficient within the vulnerability management lifecycle. A rescan is typically performed *after* remediation efforts or mitigation strategies have been implemented to verify their effectiveness, not as an initial response to confirmed findings. Simply rescanning without addressing the underlying issues wastes valuable resources, delays actual risk reduction, and leaves the system exposed to known, unmitigated risks.
- ✓
Implement compensating controls to reduce the risk
Why this is correct
Implementing compensating controls is often the most practical and immediate action when direct patching or full remediation of a vulnerability is not immediately feasible due to operational constraints, system stability concerns, or vendor limitations. These alternative security measures, such as deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF), configuring Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) rules, or segmenting networks, effectively reduce the likelihood or impact of exploitation. This approach allows the organization to reduce risk and maintain business continuity until a permanent solution can be applied.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Traffic Analysis
Key term
Likelihood
Likelihood is the estimated probability that a specific threat will exploit a vulnerability, causing harm to an IT asset or system.
Key term
Vulnerability scan
A vulnerability scan is an automated process that checks systems, networks, and applications for known security weaknesses or misconfigurations.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CS0-004 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 CS0-004 exam.