PCPP2 Interprocess Communication Practice Question
When using subprocess.Popen, why is it dangerous to use shell=True with user-supplied input?
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
✓
It leads to shell command injection vulnerabilities.
It introduces a command injection vulnerability where a user can execute arbitrary shell commands.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It prevents capturing stderr.
Why it's wrong here
It does not prevent capturing stderr.
- ✗
It slows down execution significantly.
Why it's wrong here
Performance is not the primary risk.
- ✗
It crashes the Python interpreter.
Why it's wrong here
It does not crash the interpreter.
- ✓
It leads to shell command injection vulnerabilities.
Why this is correct
Executing arbitrary shell commands is a major security flaw.
- ✗
It forces the use of hardcoded paths.
Why it's wrong here
It does not force hardcoded paths.
About these practice questions
This PCPP2 question is part of Courseiva's 194-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Python Institute exam blueprint
This PCPP2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Python Institute 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 PCPP2 exam.