- A
Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR)
Correct. BOLA is a top API risk where users can access unauthorized objects.
- B
Lack of Rate Limiting
Why wrong: Rate limiting is a security control but not one of the OWASP API Top 10 risks.
- C
Mass Assignment
Why wrong: Mass assignment is a risk but not in the top three for this scenario; however, the question asks for 'particularly relevant', and mass assignment is less common than the others. The correct set is A, B, C based on OWASP API Top 10 (2019).
- D
Broken Authentication
Correct. Weak authentication can lead to unauthorized access.
- E
Excessive Data Exposure
Correct. APIs often expose more data than necessary, a common risk.
Question 460 of 1,000
CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud application security. 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.
A security auditor is reviewing a cloud application's API endpoints. Which THREE OWASP API Security risks are particularly relevant to cloud applications due to their reliance on APIs for resource access?
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
✓
Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR)
Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR) is a top OWASP API Security risk because cloud APIs expose object identifiers (e.g., user IDs, document keys) in URLs or request bodies. If the API fails to verify that the authenticated user owns or is permitted to access the requested resource, an attacker can manipulate these identifiers to access or modify another tenant's data, directly violating cloud multi-tenancy isolation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR)
Why this is correct
Correct. BOLA is a top API risk where users can access unauthorized objects.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Lack of Rate Limiting
Why it's wrong here
Rate limiting is a security control but not one of the OWASP API Top 10 risks.
- ✗
Mass Assignment
Why it's wrong here
Mass assignment is a risk but not in the top three for this scenario; however, the question asks for 'particularly relevant', and mass assignment is less common than the others. The correct set is A, B, C based on OWASP API Top 10 (2019).
- ✓
Broken Authentication
Why this is correct
Correct. Weak authentication can lead to unauthorized access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Excessive Data Exposure
Why this is correct
Correct. APIs often expose more data than necessary, a common risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between OWASP API Security Top 10 risk categories (like BOLA, Broken Authentication, Excessive Data Exposure) and general security controls (like rate limiting) or other vulnerability types (like mass assignment) that are not standalone risks in that specific list.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Mass assignment is a risk but not in the top three for this scenario; however, the question asks for 'particularly relevant', and mass assignment is less common than the others. The correct set is A, B, C based on OWASP API Top 10 (2019).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BOLA exploits occur when an API endpoint uses a direct reference to an object (e.g., /api/users/12345) without verifying the caller's authorization at the object level. In cloud environments, this is especially dangerous because a single API gateway may serve multiple tenants, and a missing tenant-ID check can allow cross-tenant data access. Real-world examples include cloud storage APIs where a user can enumerate and download another user's files by incrementing a numeric file ID.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CCSP question test?
Cloud Application Security — This question tests Cloud Application Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR) — Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR) is a top OWASP API Security risk because cloud APIs expose object identifiers (e.g., user IDs, document keys) in URLs or request bodies. If the API fails to verify that the authenticated user owns or is permitted to access the requested resource, an attacker can manipulate these identifiers to access or modify another tenant's data, directly violating cloud multi-tenancy isolation.
What should I do if I get this CCSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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