VA-003 Explain encryption as a service Practice Question
Exhibit
$ vault write -address=https://vault.example.com -field=ciphertext transit/encrypt/my-key plaintext=$(base64 <<< "secret data")
Refer to the exhibit. What is the purpose of the -field=ciphertext flag in this command?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between output filtering (`-field`) and actual encryption configuration, leading candidates to confuse the flag with setting encryption parameters or enabling field-level encryption.
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
✓
It instructs Vault to only return the ciphertext field from the response.
The `-field=ciphertext` flag in a Vault command instructs the CLI to extract and return only the value of the `ciphertext` key from the JSON response object. This is a standard Vault output filtering mechanism that allows users to isolate a specific field without parsing the full response, which is especially useful in scripting and automation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It sets the ciphertext field for encryption.
Why it's wrong here
The ciphertext is output, not input.
- ✗
It enables field-level encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Field-level encryption is not a concept in Vault CLI.
- ✗
It specifies the encryption key name.
Why it's wrong here
The key name is specified in the path.
- ✗
It outputs the command result to a file named ciphertext.
Why it's wrong here
It does not redirect to a file; it prints to stdout.
- ✓
It instructs Vault to only return the ciphertext field from the response.
Why this is correct
This is the correct behavior of the -field flag.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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