This VA-003 practice question tests your understanding of manage vault leases. 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.
path "database/creds/readonly" {
capabilities = ["read"]
}Refer to the exhibit. A user with this policy can successfully read credentials but cannot renew the lease. What is the missing capability?
path "database/creds/readonly" {
capabilities = ["read"]
}'list' on sys/leases/.
Why wrong: List is not needed for renewal.
'renew' on the secret path.
Why wrong: There is no 'renew' capability; renewal is handled via a separate API path.
'sudo' on sys/leases/.
Why wrong: Sudo is not needed for renewal.
'update' on sys/leases/renew.
This capability is required to perform lease renewal.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
'update' on sys/leases/renew.
The user can read credentials but cannot renew the lease because the policy grants 'read' and 'list' capabilities on the secret path, but renewing a lease requires the 'update' capability on the 'sys/leases/renew' endpoint. This endpoint is used to extend the lifetime of a lease, and without 'update' access, the renewal request is denied.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
'list' on sys/leases/.
Why it's wrong here
List is not needed for renewal.
'renew' on the secret path.
Why it's wrong here
There is no 'renew' capability; renewal is handled via a separate API path.
'sudo' on sys/leases/.
Why it's wrong here
Sudo is not needed for renewal.
'update' on sys/leases/renew.
Why this is correct
This capability is required to perform lease renewal.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between capabilities on the secret path versus the system lease path, leading candidates to mistakenly think 'read' or 'list' on the secret path is sufficient for renewal.
Detailed technical explanation
In Vault, lease renewal is performed by sending an HTTP POST request to the '/v1/sys/leases/renew' endpoint with the lease ID in the request body. The policy must include 'capabilities': ['update'] on 'sys/leases/renew' to allow this operation. This is distinct from reading the secret itself, which uses the 'read' capability on the secret's path. A common real-world scenario is automating credential rotation where a service must periodically renew its lease; without this capability, the lease expires and the secret becomes invalid.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Manage Vault leases — This question tests Manage Vault leases — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 'update' on sys/leases/renew. — The user can read credentials but cannot renew the lease because the policy grants 'read' and 'list' capabilities on the secret path, but renewing a lease requires the 'update' capability on the 'sys/leases/renew' endpoint. This endpoint is used to extend the lifetime of a lease, and without 'update' access, the renewal request is denied.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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