The answer is Finding 1, the high-severity, internet-facing VPN appliance with a known exploit and no compensating controls. This is correct because effective vulnerability remediation priority must consider the full risk context beyond severity alone; while Finding 2 has a critical severity score, it requires authenticated local access, meaning an attacker must already be inside the network, whereas Finding 1 combines high severity with an exposed attack surface and an active exploit, creating an immediate remote breach risk. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this tests your understanding of risk-based prioritization, often using the CVSS vector or the "attack path" concept to trap candidates who fixate solely on severity numbers. A common memory tip is to think of the "Three E's": Exploit availability, Exposure (internet-facing), and lack of compensating controls—if all three are present, remediate first regardless of the severity label.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 vulnerability scan produces these results:
- Finding 1: High severity, internet-facing VPN appliance, known exploit available, no compensating controls
- Finding 2: Critical severity, internal development workstation, requires authenticated local access
- Finding 3: Medium severity, test server, no public exploit and not reachable from outside
Which finding should be remediated first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
An internet-facing VPN with known exploit code and no compensating controls presents the highest practical risk because it is exposed and readily exploitable.
B
Finding 2
Why wrong: Although critical on paper, the issue requires authenticated local access and is limited to an internal workstation, lowering immediate exposure.
C
Finding 3
Why wrong: A medium issue on an isolated test system with no public exploit is lower priority than an exploitable perimeter-facing weakness.
D
All findings are equal because the severity rating alone determines priority
Why wrong: Risk prioritization uses severity plus exposure, exploitability, and business context, not the label alone.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Finding 1
Finding 1 should be remediated first because it combines high severity with an internet-facing attack surface and a known exploit, meaning an attacker can remotely compromise the VPN appliance without authentication or compensating controls. This creates an immediate and direct risk of network breach, unlike the other findings which require local access or are isolated from external threats.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Finding 1
Why this is correct
An internet-facing VPN with known exploit code and no compensating controls presents the highest practical risk because it is exposed and readily exploitable.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Finding 2
Why it's wrong here
Although critical on paper, the issue requires authenticated local access and is limited to an internal workstation, lowering immediate exposure.
✗
Finding 3
Why it's wrong here
A medium issue on an isolated test system with no public exploit is lower priority than an exploitable perimeter-facing weakness.
✗
All findings are equal because the severity rating alone determines priority
Why it's wrong here
Risk prioritization uses severity plus exposure, exploitability, and business context, not the label alone.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates prioritize by severity alone (Critical > High) without considering the attack vector, exploitability, and network exposure, which are key to risk-based prioritization in the SY0-701 exam.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In vulnerability management, the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score is only one factor; the environmental and temporal metrics (e.g., exploit code maturity, remediation level) adjust the actual risk. An internet-facing VPN appliance with a known exploit (e.g., CVE-2023-46805 in Ivanti Connect Secure) can be targeted by automated scanners or ransomware groups within hours, whereas a local-access vulnerability on an internal workstation requires prior compromise or physical presence, giving defenders more time to patch.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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 SY0-701 question in full detail.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Finding 1 — Finding 1 should be remediated first because it combines high severity with an internet-facing attack surface and a known exploit, meaning an attacker can remotely compromise the VPN appliance without authentication or compensating controls. This creates an immediate and direct risk of network breach, unlike the other findings which require local access or are isolated from external threats.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A scan returns five findings. Which two should be remediated first based on real-world risk? Select two. A) Internet-facing SSO gateway, CVSS 8.8, public exploit code, and auth bypass impact. B) Internal print server, CVSS 9.8, no known exploit, isolated VLAN, no sensitive data. C) File server with regulated customer records, CVSS 6.5, active exploitation in the wild, reachable from VPN. D) Lab hypervisor, CVSS 7.5, no exploit, scheduled retirement next month, used only by testers. E) Dev wiki, CVSS 5.0, no exploit, no sensitive data.
hard
✓ A.Internet-facing SSO gateway with public exploit code and authentication-bypass impact.
B.Internal print server on an isolated VLAN with no known exploit and no sensitive data.
✓ C.File server containing regulated customer records, with active exploitation in the wild and VPN reachability.
D.Lab hypervisor that is scheduled for retirement next month and used only by testers.
E.Development wiki with low severity, no exploit, and no sensitive data.
Why A: Option A is correct because the SSO gateway is internet-facing, has a CVSS 8.8 with public exploit code, and an authentication-bypass impact. This combination means an attacker can gain unauthorized access to all federated applications without credentials, representing a critical risk that must be remediated immediately.
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Question Discussion
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