ITGSS Certified DevOps Engineer Practice Test

What risk does running different applications on the same Kubernetes cluster pose?

1. One compromised application can attack neighboring applications

2. Increased latency in service communication

3. Resource under-utilization

4. Difficulty in managing service updates

The correct answer is: One compromised application can attack neighboring applications

Running different applications on the same Kubernetes cluster poses a significant risk, particularly the potential for one compromised application to attack neighboring applications. Kubernetes provides a multi-tenant platform where multiple applications can share the same resources, such as CPU, memory, and networking infrastructure. If a security vulnerability exists in one application, it could be exploited by a malicious user to gain access to the cluster. This access might allow them to execute arbitrary code, steal sensitive data, or disrupt services affecting other applications running in the same environment. This risk is heightened in a shared environment where resource isolation might not be strictly enforced or where there are insufficient network policies in place. Therefore, if one application is breached, it creates a pathway for attacks on adjacent applications, leading to a broader security compromise. Awareness and management of security policies, application configurations, and monitoring are crucial in mitigating such threats in a multi-tenant Kubernetes setup. In contrast, while increased latency, resource under-utilization, and difficulty managing updates are concerns in a shared environment, they do not inherently present the same level of risk to other applications' security as the potential for application compromise.