CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are common challenges in securing serverless applications?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that serverless eliminates all infrastructure security concerns, leading candidates to overlook the critical need for input validation and dependency management, while incorrectly assuming that network controls like firewalls are still applicable.
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
✓
Insecure handling of event source inputs
Serverless functions rely on event-driven architectures where inputs from sources like HTTP requests, database changes, or message queues are processed directly. If these inputs are not properly validated and sanitized, attackers can inject malicious payloads (e.g., SQL injection, command injection) that execute within the function's runtime, leading to data breaches or unauthorized actions. This is a primary attack vector unique to serverless, as the function code directly consumes untrusted data without traditional perimeter defenses.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Lack of control over the underlying kernel and OS
Why it's wrong here
Kernel security is the provider's responsibility.
- ✓
Insecure handling of event source inputs
Why this is correct
Events from various sources may include malicious payloads.
- ✓
Vulnerabilities in third-party libraries and dependencies
Why this is correct
Functions often use open-source packages that may have known vulnerabilities.
- ✓
Increased attack surface due to many small functions
Why this is correct
Each function can be an entry point.
- ✗
Difficulty in applying stateful firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
Serverless functions are stateless and firewalls are less relevant.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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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.