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Question 818 of 999

Integrating Google Cloud services →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Fix Cloud Run Permission Denied for Cloud Tasks Invoker — Google Professional Cloud Developer Explained

This PCD practice question tests your understanding of integrating google cloud services. 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 company runs a microservices application on Cloud Run. One service, `order-processor`, is invoked asynchronously via a Cloud Tasks queue. The Cloud Tasks queue is configured with an HTTP target pointing to the `order-processor` service URL. The service requires authentication (no unauthenticated invocations). The service account used by Cloud Tasks to invoke the service is `cloud-tasks-system@project.iam.gserviceaccount.com`. After deploying a new revision of `order-processor` using Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy, the team notices that tasks are failing with a 403 status. The Cloud Run service logs show the requests are reaching the service but returning 403. The previous revision worked fine. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The IAM policy binding granting the Cloud Tasks service account the Cloud Run Invoker role was removed during the deployment.
If the deployment pipeline modifies IAM policies, the binding for the Cloud Tasks service account may have been removed, causing 403 errors.
B
The new revision has a bug causing a permission denied error when processing tasks.
Why wrong: A bug would result in 500 or 503 errors, not 403, and logs show requests reaching the service.
C
The Cloud Tasks queue needs to be configured with an OIDC token and audience for the new revision.
Why wrong: OIDC configuration is on the queue and does not need to change per revision; it remains valid for the service URL.
D
The Cloud Tasks queue's HTTP target URL needs to be updated to point to the new revision's specific URL.
Why wrong: The Cloud Run service URL remains the same across revisions, so the queue target does not need updating.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The answer is that the IAM policy binding granting the Cloud Tasks service account the Cloud Run Invoker role was removed during deployment. This is correct because when a Cloud Run service requires authentication, the invoker—in this case, the `cloud-tasks-system` service account—must have the `roles/run.invoker` role on the specific service. The 403 status indicates the request reached the service but was denied at the IAM level, not the application layer. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Cloud Deploy and Cloud Build can overwrite existing IAM bindings if the deployment pipeline includes a `gcloud run deploy` command without explicitly preserving the invoker role. A common trap is assuming the error is caused by a misconfigured OIDC token or a broken queue URL, but those would produce different errors. Memory tip: think of the Cloud Tasks service account as a guest needing a key (the invoker role) to enter the Cloud Run door—if the deployment process changes the locks, the guest gets a 403.

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 IAM policy binding granting the Cloud Tasks service account the Cloud Run Invoker role was removed during the deployment.

Option A is correct. When Cloud Run requires authentication, the invoker's service account must be granted the roles/run.invoker role on the Cloud Run service. Deploying a new revision with Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy may overwrite IAM policy bindings if the deployment pipeline includes IAM policy updates or uses a different service account. In this scenario, the IAM binding for the Cloud Tasks service account was likely removed or not applied to the new revision, causing the 403 error. Option B is incorrect because the service works correctly; the 403 is returned before the service processes the request, indicating an authorization failure, not an internal bug. Option C is incorrect because the OIDC token configuration on the queue is independent of the revision and does not affect IAM permissions. Option D is incorrect because the Cloud Tasks queue's HTTP target URL points to the Cloud Run service, not a specific revision, so it does not need to be updated.

Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

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 IAM policy binding granting the Cloud Tasks service account the Cloud Run Invoker role was removed during the deployment.
Why this is correct
If the deployment pipeline modifies IAM policies, the binding for the Cloud Tasks service account may have been removed, causing 403 errors.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
The new revision has a bug causing a permission denied error when processing tasks.
Why it's wrong here
A bug would result in 500 or 503 errors, not 403, and logs show requests reaching the service.
✗
The Cloud Tasks queue needs to be configured with an OIDC token and audience for the new revision.
Why it's wrong here
OIDC configuration is on the queue and does not need to change per revision; it remains valid for the service URL.
✗
The Cloud Tasks queue's HTTP target URL needs to be updated to point to the new revision's specific URL.
Why it's wrong here
The Cloud Run service URL remains the same across revisions, so the queue target does not need updating.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization

Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
A bug would result in 500 or 503 errors, not 403, and logs show requests reaching the service.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.

TExam Day Tips

Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.

Key takeaway

Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCD questions on access control and AAA configuration.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PCD question test?

Integrating Google Cloud services — This question tests Integrating Google Cloud services — Authentication checks who the user is..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The IAM policy binding granting the Cloud Tasks service account the Cloud Run Invoker role was removed during the deployment. — Option A is correct. When Cloud Run requires authentication, the invoker's service account must be granted the roles/run.invoker role on the Cloud Run service. Deploying a new revision with Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy may overwrite IAM policy bindings if the deployment pipeline includes IAM policy updates or uses a different service account. In this scenario, the IAM binding for the Cloud Tasks service account was likely removed or not applied to the new revision, causing the 403 error. Option B is incorrect because the service works correctly; the 403 is returned before the service processes the request, indicating an authorization failure, not an internal bug. Option C is incorrect because the OIDC token configuration on the queue is independent of the revision and does not affect IAM permissions. Option D is incorrect because the Cloud Tasks queue's HTTP target URL points to the Cloud Run service, not a specific revision, so it does not need to be updated.

What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Authentication checks who the user is.

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