EX188 Container Operations And Lifecycle Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting container exit codes. A container exited with code 137. What does this specific exit code typically signify in container engines?
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 container was terminated forcefully by SIGKILL (often due to Out-Of-Memory).
Exit code 137 indicates that the container process was terminated forcibly by the OOM killer or SIGKILL (128 + 9).
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 container was terminated forcefully by SIGKILL (often due to Out-Of-Memory).
Why this is correct
Signal 9 (SIGKILL) added to base 128 results in 137, commonly triggered by the kernel OOM killer.
- ✗
The container executed an invalid system call blocked by seccomp.
Why it's wrong here
Blocked system calls typically result in SIGSYS (exit code 159).
- ✗
The container encountered an application-level syntax error.
Why it's wrong here
Application errors usually result in exit code 1 or specific application-defined codes.
- ✗
The container startup script had a permission denied error.
Why it's wrong here
Permission errors generally result in exit code 126 or 127.
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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 Red Hat exam blueprint
This EX188 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX188 exam.