PCNSE Troubleshoot Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting a situation where traffic from a specific application is being dropped by the firewall. The security policy allows the application. The firewall logs show the session is denied, and the reason is 'application mismatch'. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume 'application mismatch' means the application is unknown or unsupported, but it specifically means the traffic was identified as a different application than what the rule expects, highlighting the importance of verifying App-ID results versus rule configuration.
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 firewall's App-ID identified the traffic as a different application than the one specified in the rule
The 'application mismatch' log reason indicates that the firewall's App-ID engine identified the traffic as a different application than the one specified in the security rule. Even though the rule allows the application you intended, the actual traffic does not match that App-ID signature, so the session is denied. This is a common scenario when the application classification does not align with the rule's application object.
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 firewall's App-ID identified the traffic as a different application than the one specified in the rule
Why this is correct
The firewall uses App-ID to identify traffic; if the application detected does not match the rule's allowed application, the session is denied.
- ✗
The application is not recognized by the firewall and is treated as unknown
Why it's wrong here
Unknown applications are handled based on the rule's unknown application setting, not mismatch.
- ✗
The security rule is not configured to allow any application
Why it's wrong here
The rule allows the application, but the traffic is identified as something else.
- ✗
The firewall's SSL decryption is misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
SSL decryption can affect visibility but does not cause application mismatch.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNSE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 PCNSE exam.