CPENT Cloud And Hybrid Infrastructure Security Practice Question
A penetration tester is analyzing a Kubernetes cluster deployed on AWS (EKS) where a compromised pod is running with a service account that has access to the AWS IAM OIDC provider endpoint. The pod's container is running as root and has the host network namespace enabled. Which technique allows the tester to pivot from the container to the underlying cloud infrastructure?
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
✓
Query the local Kubernetes API server using the projected service account token mounted in the pod to extract AWS STS credentials if an IAM role is annotated.
Accessing the container metadata or using the token exchange via the IAM OIDC provider allows the tester to obtain cloud credentials.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Execute the docker-runc exploit directly against the Docker daemon socket mounted inside the container.
Why it's wrong here
EKS uses containerd, not Docker, and container escape via runc requires root on the host, which is a different vector.
- ✓
Query the local Kubernetes API server using the projected service account token mounted in the pod to extract AWS STS credentials if an IAM role is annotated.
Why this is correct
Projected service account tokens are used in EKS for IAM roles for service accounts (IRSA), allowing cloud access.
- ✗
Modify the kube-dns deployment manifest to redirect cloud control plane traffic to a local proxy.
Why it's wrong here
DNS redirection does not provide cloud credential access.
- ✗
Leverage the Azure Instance Metadata Service endpoint to retrieve subscription-level access tokens.
Why it's wrong here
AWS EKS does not use Azure metadata services.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CPENT practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CPENT exam.