VCP-DCV vSphere Security Practice Question
An administrator is troubleshooting a failed attempt to add an ESXi host to a vCenter Server domain. The error message states: 'The host's certificate has been tampered with or is invalid.' What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse certificate expiration with thumbprint mismatch, but the error message 'tampered with or invalid' specifically points to a thumbprint mismatch rather than a date-based validity issue.
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 ESXi host's certificate thumbprint does not match the thumbprint stored in vCenter Server.
The error 'The host's certificate has been tampered with or is invalid' occurs when the ESXi host presents a certificate whose thumbprint does not match the thumbprint that vCenter Server has stored for that host. This mismatch can happen if the host's certificate was replaced (e.g., due to a reinstall or manual rotation) without updating the vCenter Server's trusted store. vCenter Server verifies the host's identity by comparing the SHA-1 or SHA-256 thumbprint of the presented certificate against its stored record; a mismatch triggers this specific error.
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 vCenter Server's account lockout policy has been triggered.
Why it's wrong here
Account lockout would give an authentication failure, not a certificate error.
- ✗
The ESXi host's SSH keys have been rotated.
Why it's wrong here
SSH keys are separate from SSL certificates.
- ✗
The ESXi host's certificate has expired.
Why it's wrong here
An expired certificate would give a different error, not 'tampered with'.
- ✓
The ESXi host's certificate thumbprint does not match the thumbprint stored in vCenter Server.
Why this is correct
This mismatch causes the 'tampered' error.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VCP-DCV practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware 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 VCP-DCV exam.