- A
The low-severity issue on the offline lab VM.
Why wrong: It has the lowest business exposure and the least immediate likelihood of exploitation.
- B
The medium-severity issue on the payroll server with no known exploit.
Why wrong: The asset is important, but the absence of an exploit lowers urgency compared with exposed critical flaws.
- C
The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit.
This combines high severity, public exposure, and active exploitability, making it the highest-priority risk.
- D
The high-severity issue on the test workstation that is not domain joined.
Why wrong: It is less exposed and less business-critical than the internet-facing production server.
Question 646 of 1,152
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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 vulnerability dashboard shows four new findings. Which one should be remediated first by the operations team?
- A low-severity issue on an offline lab VM - A medium-severity issue on a payroll server with no known exploit - A critical issue on an internet-facing web server with an available exploit - A high-severity issue on a test workstation that is not domain joined
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.
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
✓
The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit.
The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit should be remediated first because it combines the highest severity (critical) with an active, exploitable vulnerability on an asset exposed to the public internet. In vulnerability management, remediation priority is determined by risk, which is a function of severity, exploitability, and asset exposure. An internet-facing web server with a known exploit represents an immediate threat that can be remotely compromised, unlike the other findings which are on isolated or less critical systems.
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.
- ✗
The low-severity issue on the offline lab VM.
Why it's wrong here
It has the lowest business exposure and the least immediate likelihood of exploitation.
- ✗
The medium-severity issue on the payroll server with no known exploit.
Why it's wrong here
The asset is important, but the absence of an exploit lowers urgency compared with exposed critical flaws.
- ✓
The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit.
Why this is correct
This combines high severity, public exposure, and active exploitability, making it the highest-priority risk.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The high-severity issue on the test workstation that is not domain joined.
Why it's wrong here
It is less exposed and less business-critical than the internet-facing production server.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the principle that severity alone does not determine priority; candidates must consider exploitability and asset exposure, and the trap here is assuming a high-severity issue on any asset (like a test workstation) should be fixed before a critical issue on an internet-facing server, ignoring that the test workstation is isolated and not domain-joined, reducing its risk profile.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Vulnerability scoring systems like CVSS v3.1 calculate risk using metrics such as Attack Vector (AV:N for network), Attack Complexity (AC:L for low), and Exploit Code Maturity (E:P for proof-of-concept). An internet-facing web server with a critical CVSS score (e.g., 9.0-10.0) and an available exploit in frameworks like Metasploit or Exploit-DB means an attacker can execute remote code without authentication, often via buffer overflows or injection flaws (e.g., CVE-2023-44487 for HTTP/2 rapid reset). In contrast, a non-domain-joined test workstation lacks Active Directory trust relationships, limiting lateral movement, and an offline VM has no network stack to target.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit. — The critical issue on the internet-facing web server with an available exploit should be remediated first because it combines the highest severity (critical) with an active, exploitable vulnerability on an asset exposed to the public internet. In vulnerability management, remediation priority is determined by risk, which is a function of severity, exploitability, and asset exposure. An internet-facing web server with a known exploit represents an immediate threat that can be remotely compromised, unlike the other findings which are on isolated or less critical systems.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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