Quick Answer
The answer is threat actor capability, ease of exploitation, and the nature of the vulnerability itself. Ease of exploitation is critical because it directly governs the likelihood factors threat exploitation; a vulnerability with a publicly available exploit script or low privilege requirements dramatically increases the probability of an attack, as quantified by CVSS metrics like Attack Complexity and Privileges Required. On the CRISC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between likelihood and impact—a common trap is confusing the ease of exploiting a flaw with the severity of its consequences. Remember that likelihood focuses on the attacker’s path of least resistance, not the damage done. A useful memory tip is “ACE”: Attacker capability, ease of exploitation, and vulnerability nature—these three drive the odds of a breach.
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of it risk assessment. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which THREE factors should be considered when determining the likelihood of a threat exploiting a vulnerability?
Ease of exploitation
Easier exploitation increases likelihood.
Regulatory fines
Why wrong: Fines are impact consequences.
Asset value
Why wrong: Asset value is an impact factor.
Existing controls
Controls reduce likelihood.
Threat actor capability
Capability affects the chance of exploitation.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Ease of exploitation
Ease of exploitation (A) is a key factor because it directly influences how readily a threat actor can leverage a vulnerability. For example, a vulnerability with a public exploit script or one that requires only low privileges is far more likely to be exploited than one requiring complex, custom tooling. This aligns with the CVSS exploitability metrics (Attack Vector, Attack Complexity, Privileges Required, User Interaction) that quantify how easy it is to trigger the vulnerability.
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.
Ease of exploitation
Why this is correct
Easier exploitation increases likelihood.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Regulatory fines
Why it's wrong here
Fines are impact consequences.
Asset value
Why it's wrong here
Asset value is an impact factor.
Existing controls
Why this is correct
Controls reduce likelihood.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Threat actor capability
Why this is correct
Capability affects the chance of exploitation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing factors that determine likelihood (probability of occurrence) with factors that determine impact (consequences), leading candidates to incorrectly select asset value or regulatory fines as likelihood inputs.
Detailed technical explanation
Likelihood determination in risk assessment combines threat capability, vulnerability severity, and existing control effectiveness. For instance, a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.0+) in an internet-facing service with no authentication requirement has a high likelihood because the attack surface is large and the barrier to entry is low. Existing controls (D) like a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or network segmentation can reduce the likelihood by making exploitation harder or requiring additional steps, which is why they are considered alongside threat actor capability (E) and ease of exploitation (A).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
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FAQ
IT Risk Assessment — This question tests IT Risk Assessment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Ease of exploitation — Ease of exploitation (A) is a key factor because it directly influences how readily a threat actor can leverage a vulnerability. For example, a vulnerability with a public exploit script or one that requires only low privileges is far more likely to be exploited than one requiring complex, custom tooling. This aligns with the CVSS exploitability metrics (Attack Vector, Attack Complexity, Privileges Required, User Interaction) that quantify how easy it is to trigger the vulnerability.
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 25, 2026
This CRISC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CRISC exam.
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