VA-003 Assess Vault tokens Practice Question
A developer needs to manually revoke a token but only knows its accessor. Which Vault API endpoint can be used to revoke the token using only the accessor?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp Vault often tests the distinction between endpoints that operate on the token ID versus those that operate on the accessor, and the trap here is that candidates might confuse `auth/token/revoke` (which needs the token ID) with `auth/token/revoke-accessor` (which uses the accessor), or think that listing accessors (Option A) is sufficient for revocation.
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
✓
auth/token/revoke-accessor
The `auth/token/revoke-accessor` endpoint is specifically designed to revoke a token when only its accessor is known. The accessor is a non-sensitive identifier that Vault uses to perform token operations without exposing the actual token ID, making this endpoint the appropriate choice for revocation by accessor.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
auth/token/accessors
Why it's wrong here
The `auth/token/accessors` endpoint lists accessors for tokens, so it cannot revoke anything. It is tempting because it is the only endpoint that surfaces accessor values, which is genuinely useful for auditing or locating tokens before revocation. Revoking by accessor alone requires `auth/token/revoke-accessor`, which takes the accessor directly.
- ✗
auth/token/renew-accessor
Why it's wrong here
auth/token/renew-accessor extends a token's lease using its accessor; it does not revoke it. It is tempting because it is the only accessor-based token endpoint many operators recall, but revocation by accessor is performed through auth/token/revoke-accessor, which invalidates the token without requiring the token ID itself.
- ✓
auth/token/revoke-accessor
Why this is correct
Vault's auth/token/revoke-accessor endpoint revokes a token by its accessor rather than the token itself, which is exactly the identifier available here. The accessor is a non-secret reference, so revocation succeeds without needing the original token value.
- ✗
auth/token/revoke
Why it's wrong here
The `auth/token/revoke` endpoint requires the token itself, not its accessor, so it cannot satisfy this scenario. It is tempting because it is the standard endpoint for revoking a token you possess directly, which would be correct if the developer held the token string rather than only its accessor.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VA-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp 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 VA-003 exam.