- A
Use OpenID Connect (OIDC) with a federated identity credential.
OIDC allows passwordless authentication from GitHub Actions to Azure.
- B
Use the GITHUB_TOKEN to authenticate to Azure.
Why wrong: GITHUB_TOKEN is for GitHub API, not Azure.
- C
Use an SSH deploy key to authenticate to AKS.
Why wrong: SSH keys are for repository access, not Azure authentication.
- D
Store an Azure service principal password as a GitHub secret.
Why wrong: This still requires storing a secret, though it's an option, OIDC is more secure.
Question 741 of 928
GitHub Actions AKS OIDC Authentication
This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Your team is using GitHub Actions to deploy a containerized application to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). You need to securely authenticate the workflow to AKS without storing credentials in the repository. What should you use?
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
✓
Use OpenID Connect (OIDC) with a federated identity credential.
OpenID Connect (OIDC) allows GitHub Actions to exchange a short-lived token for Azure credentials using a federated identity credential, eliminating the need to store any long-lived secrets in the repository. This is the recommended approach for secure, passwordless authentication to Azure services, including AKS, because it uses token-based authentication that automatically rotates and is scoped to specific workflows.
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.
- ✓
Use OpenID Connect (OIDC) with a federated identity credential.
Why this is correct
OIDC allows passwordless authentication from GitHub Actions to Azure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use the GITHUB_TOKEN to authenticate to Azure.
Why it's wrong here
GITHUB_TOKEN is for GitHub API, not Azure.
- ✗
Use an SSH deploy key to authenticate to AKS.
Why it's wrong here
SSH keys are for repository access, not Azure authentication.
- ✗
Store an Azure service principal password as a GitHub secret.
Why it's wrong here
This still requires storing a secret, though it's an option, OIDC is more secure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the GITHUB_TOKEN (which is for GitHub API calls) with an Azure authentication token, or they assume that storing a service principal password as a secret is acceptable, missing the security and compliance benefits of OIDC-based federated identity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, OIDC with Azure federated identity works by having GitHub Actions request a token from GitHub's OIDC provider (https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com), which Azure AD trusts via a configured federated identity credential on the service principal. The workflow then uses the Azure CLI's `az login --federated-token` to exchange that token for an Azure access token, enabling short-lived, scoped authentication without any stored secrets. A real-world scenario where this matters is in multi-tenant environments where secret rotation is complex; OIDC eliminates the need for manual rotation and reduces the blast radius of a compromised secret.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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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Design and implement build and release pipelines — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-400 question test?
Design and implement build and release pipelines — This question tests Design and implement build and release pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use OpenID Connect (OIDC) with a federated identity credential. — OpenID Connect (OIDC) allows GitHub Actions to exchange a short-lived token for Azure credentials using a federated identity credential, eliminating the need to store any long-lived secrets in the repository. This is the recommended approach for secure, passwordless authentication to Azure services, including AKS, because it uses token-based authentication that automatically rotates and is scoped to specific workflows.
What should I do if I get this AZ-400 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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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