VA-003 Assess Vault tokens Practice Question
A DevOps engineer needs to create a token that can only read secrets under the path 'secret/engineering'. What is the recommended approach?
⚠ Common exam trap
In Vault exams, a common trap is confusing time-based restrictions with proper policy-based access control. TTL limits duration but does not restrict which paths a token can access; a policy is required for that.
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
✓
Create a policy that allows read on secret/engineering/* and attach it to the token
Vault's recommended approach for granting least-privilege access is to create a policy that explicitly defines the allowed actions and paths, then attach that policy to the token. A policy with `path "secret/engineering/*" { capabilities = ["read"] }` ensures the token can only read secrets under that specific path, adhering to the principle of least privilege.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a token with a short TTL so it expires quickly
Why it's wrong here
TTL does not restrict which paths the token can access.
- ✗
Create a token with the default policy only
Why it's wrong here
The default policy grants access to many paths, not just secret/engineering.
- ✗
Use the root token and restrict usage with a low TTL
Why it's wrong here
Root tokens have unrestricted access; TTL does not limit permissions.
- ✓
Create a policy that allows read on secret/engineering/* and attach it to the token
Why this is correct
A custom policy with minimal privileges follows the principle of least privilege.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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