PCNSA Managing Objects Practice Question
Exhibit
> show address-group "web-servers" Address group name: web-servers Type: static Members: web-01 web-02 web-03
Refer to the exhibit. An admin adds a new address object 'web-04' with IP 10.0.0.4 and applies it to a security policy that references the address group 'web-servers'. However, traffic to 10.0.0.4 is not allowed. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Palo Alto Networks often tests the distinction between creating an object and applying it to a group; the trap here is that candidates assume creating the object and referencing the group in the policy is sufficient, forgetting that the object must be a member of the group for the policy to match.
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
✓
The admin forgot to add 'web-04' to the address group
The address object 'web-04' was created but not added to the address group 'web-servers'. In Palo Alto Networks firewalls, security policies reference address groups, not individual objects. Even if the object exists, the policy will not match traffic destined to 10.0.0.4 unless the object is a member of the referenced group. This is the most common cause of such a failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The admin forgot to add 'web-04' to the address group
Why this is correct
Security policies match address group members, not objects merely created in the address book. Because 'web-04' was never added to 'web-servers', the policy never evaluates 10.0.0.4, so its traffic is denied despite the object existing.
- ✗
The address object 'web-04' has the wrong IP
Why it's wrong here
The stem states the object was created with IP 10.0.0.4, so a wrong IP contradicts the given configuration rather than explaining the failure. Checking the object's address is tempting because typos are a common cause of policy misses, and it would be correct when traffic to a different address than intended is being matched.
- ✗
The address group is dynamic and did not update
Why it's wrong here
Static address groups in PAN-OS resolve membership at commit time, so a dynamic group would be the cause only if the group were actually configured as dynamic; the exhibit shows a static group. Dynamic groups are tempting because they auto-update from tags or filters, and would be correct when membership must change without a commit.
- ✗
The security policy is set to deny
Why it's wrong here
A deny rule would block traffic regardless of the address object, but the stem's focus is that the newly added object is not permitted, implying the rule itself permits the group. Deny rules are tempting because implicit deny catches unmatched traffic, and a deny rule would be correct when the requirement is explicitly blocking a known source or destination.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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