CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
A security analyst discovers that a container running in a Kubernetes cluster has been compromised. The attacker escalated privileges and accessed the host's kernel. Which of the following misconfigurations most likely allowed this container escape?
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 container was run with the --privileged flag
Running a container with the --privileged flag grants all capabilities and disables most security mechanisms, making container escape trivial. Other options like Seccomp or AppArmor would restrict actions, and read-only root filesystem would prevent writes, but the privileged mode is the most direct enabler.
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 container was run with the --privileged flag
Why this is correct
The --privileged flag gives the container almost unrestricted access to the host kernel, enabling easy escape.
- ✗
The container was run with a default Seccomp profile
Why it's wrong here
A default Seccomp profile restricts syscalls, making escape harder.
- ✗
The container was run with a read-only root filesystem
Why it's wrong here
Read-only root filesystem limits writes but does not prevent privilege escalation via kernel exploits.
- ✗
The container was run with an AppArmor profile in enforce mode
Why it's wrong here
AppArmor restricts program capabilities and would hinder escape.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.