CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
A security engineer is reviewing container security practices. Which tool is specifically designed to scan container images for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)?
⚠ Common exam trap
CCSP often tests the confusion between security tools that operate at different layers: candidates may mistake runtime security tools (Seccomp) or policy engines (OPA Gatekeeper) for vulnerability scanners, overlooking that Trivy is purpose-built for CVE detection in images.
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
✓
Trivy
Trivy is an open-source vulnerability scanner specifically designed to scan container images, filesystems, and Git repositories for CVEs and misconfigurations. It integrates directly with container registries and CI/CD pipelines, making it the go-to tool for image security in cloud-native environments. Unlike the other options, Trivy's core function is vulnerability detection, not access control or runtime enforcement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Kubernetes RBAC
Why it's wrong here
Kubernetes RBAC governs which subjects may perform API actions on cluster resources; it holds no vulnerability database and cannot inspect image contents. It is tempting because it is a core container security mechanism, but CVE detection in images requires a dedicated scanner such as Trivy or Clair.
- ✓
Trivy
Why this is correct
Trivy is an open-source scanner built specifically to inspect container images (and filesystems, repositories) for known CVEs in OS packages and language dependencies. It satisfies the stem's requirement for a tool designed for image vulnerability scanning, unlike general-purpose registries or orchestrators.
- ✗
Seccomp
Why it's wrong here
Seccomp restricts the system calls a container process may invoke at runtime; it does not read image layers or match packages against CVE feeds. It is tempting because it hardens containers, but image vulnerability scanning is the role of tools such as Trivy, Clair or Grype.
- ✗
OPA Gatekeeper
Why it's wrong here
OPA Gatekeeper enforces admission policies on Kubernetes API objects, rejecting non-compliant deployments; it never inspects image layers for CVEs. It is tempting because it is a container-ecosystem security control, but vulnerability scanning of images is performed by tools such as Trivy, Clair or Amazon ECR scanning.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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.