(ISC)2(ISC)2
CISSP · Question #846
CISSP Question #846: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is B: Virtual machine monitor. The Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), also known as a hypervisor, manages all virtual machines on a host, making its compromise catastrophic across all hosted VMs.
Submitted by carlos_mx· Mar 5, 2026Security Architecture and Engineering
Question
If compromised, which of the following would lead to the exploitation of multiple virtual machines?
Options
- AVirtual device drivers
- BVirtual machine monitor
- CVirtual machine instance
- DVirtual machine file system
Explanation
The Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM), also known as a hypervisor, manages all virtual machines on a host, making its compromise catastrophic across all hosted VMs.
Common mistakes.
- A. Virtual device drivers operate within individual VMs or at the host level for specific devices, and their compromise would typically affect only the specific device or VM they serve, not all VMs simultaneously.
- C. A virtual machine instance is a single, isolated VM, so compromising it would affect only that specific instance rather than providing access to multiple other VMs on the host.
- D. A virtual machine file system stores the disk image of a single VM, and its compromise would impact only the data within that one VM's file system, not other VMs on the same host.
Concept tested. Hypervisor security and VM escape risk
Reference. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/hypervisor
Topics
#virtualization security#hypervisor#virtual machine monitor#cloud security
Community Discussion
No community discussion yet for this question.