SSCP Systems and Application Security Practice Question
A company uses virtualization extensively. The security team discovers that developers have created many unmanaged virtual machines that are not tracked in the configuration management database (CMDB). Which risk is MOST directly associated with this situation?
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
✓
VM sprawl
VM sprawl refers to the proliferation of unmanaged VMs, increasing attack surface and management complexity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
VM escape
Why it's wrong here
VM escape is a breakout from a guest to the hypervisor, requiring an exploit; untracked VMs do not themselves enable it. It is tempting because unpatched guests widen attack surface, and it would be correct if a compromised workload actually crossed the hypervisor boundary.
- ✓
VM sprawl
Why this is correct
Unmanaged VMs consume hypervisor CPU, memory, storage and licensing without lifecycle oversight, which is the defining characteristic of VM sprawl. Because these instances bypass the CMDB, they escape patching and vulnerability tracking, so sprawl is the risk most directly created by the missing inventory records.
- ✗
Snapshot vulnerability reintroduction
Why it's wrong here
Snapshot vulnerability reintroduction occurs when reverting to an old snapshot restores previously patched flaws; the stem describes inventory gaps, not rollbacks. It is tempting because snapshots are common in virtual estates, and it would be correct after a restore reinstated vulnerable software.
- ✗
Insecure hypervisor configuration
Why it's wrong here
Insecure hypervisor configuration concerns the platform's own settings, not the existence of undocumented guests. It is tempting because unmanaged VMs often accompany weak governance, and it would be correct if the hypervisor itself were misconfigured or unpatched.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.