VA-003 Utilize Vault CLI and API Practice Question
A user receives 'permission denied' when running 'vault write secret/data/myapp value=123'. The user's token has a policy that includes 'path "secret/data/*" { capabilities = ["read", "list"] }'. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between capabilities required for different operations (read/list vs. create/update/delete), leading candidates to assume that any valid token with any capabilities on the path can write, when in fact the policy must explicitly include 'create' or 'update'.
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 path requires create or update capability.
The user's policy grants only 'read' and 'list' capabilities on the path 'secret/data/*'. The 'vault write' command requires either 'create' or 'update' capability (or both) on the path. Since the policy lacks these capabilities, Vault returns a 'permission denied' error, even though the token is valid and the secret engine is mounted.
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 user is not authenticated.
Why it's wrong here
The user is authenticated because the token is valid and the policy allows read/list on the path. A write attempt fails due to missing capabilities, not due to lack of authentication.
- ✓
The path requires create or update capability.
Why this is correct
Correct. The policy only grants 'read' and 'list' capabilities on 'secret/data/*', but the 'vault write' command requires 'create' or 'update' capability. Since these are absent, Vault returns 'permission denied'.
- ✗
The secret engine is not mounted.
Why it's wrong here
If the secret engine were not mounted, Vault would return a different error (e.g., 'no handler for route'). The error 'permission denied' indicates an authorization failure, not a missing mount.
- ✗
The token is expired.
Why it's wrong here
An expired token would cause an authentication error (e.g., 'token is expired or cannot be used'), not a 'permission denied' error. The token is valid, but lacks necessary capabilities.
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JA
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.