diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 29d9ee1e24f..81ebade82a0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/metrics v0.0.0
 	k8s.io/mount-utils v0.0.0
 	k8s.io/sample-apiserver v0.0.0
-	k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2
+	k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73
 	sigs.k8s.io/kustomize v2.0.3+incompatible
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.2.0
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ replace (
 	k8s.io/sample-apiserver => ./staging/src/k8s.io/sample-apiserver
 	k8s.io/sample-cli-plugin => ./staging/src/k8s.io/sample-cli-plugin
 	k8s.io/sample-controller => ./staging/src/k8s.io/sample-controller
-	k8s.io/system-validators => k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2
+	k8s.io/system-validators => k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0
 	k8s.io/utils => k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73
 	modernc.org/cc => modernc.org/cc v1.0.0
 	modernc.org/golex => modernc.org/golex v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index cc3b95fac32..54ad998eee7 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -555,8 +555,8 @@ k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.2.0 h1:XRvcwJozkgZ1UQJmfMGpvRthQHOvihEhYtDfAaxMz/A=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.2.0/go.mod h1:Od+F08eJP+W3HUb4pSrPpgp9DGU4GzlpG/TmITuYh/Y=
 k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20200805222855-6aeccd4b50c6 h1:+WnxoVtG8TMiudHBSEtrVL1egv36TkkJm+bA8AxicmQ=
 k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20200805222855-6aeccd4b50c6/go.mod h1:UuqjUnNftUyPE5H64/qeyjQoUZhGpeFDVdxjTeEVN2o=
-k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2 h1:0xzEb0PqnDnUOuf/2E/gaJBOBN7j+qf0LIn12jw3oc4=
-k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2/go.mod h1:bPldcLgkIUK22ALflnsXk8pvkTEndYdNuaHH6gRrl0Q=
+k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0 h1:D8clGm3PIsgX0bHoQWQXC8W/rTi6jRKejQGk7z/yuDY=
+k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0/go.mod h1:bPldcLgkIUK22ALflnsXk8pvkTEndYdNuaHH6gRrl0Q=
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73 h1:uJmqzgNWG7XyClnU/mLPBWwfKKF1K8Hf8whTseBgJcg=
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73/go.mod h1:jPW/WVKK9YHAvNhRxK0md/EJ228hCsBRufyofKtW8HA=
 modernc.org/cc v1.0.0/go.mod h1:1Sk4//wdnYJiUIxnW8ddKpaOJCF37yAdqYnkxUpaYxw=
diff --git a/vendor/k8s.io/system-validators/validators/types_unix.go b/vendor/k8s.io/system-validators/validators/types_unix.go
index 8a6fedc3e81..7870d996af2 100644
--- a/vendor/k8s.io/system-validators/validators/types_unix.go
+++ b/vendor/k8s.io/system-validators/validators/types_unix.go
@@ -56,17 +56,14 @@ var DefaultSysSpec = SysSpec{
 		},
 		Forbidden: []KernelConfig{},
 	},
-	Cgroups: []string{"cpu", "cpuacct", "cpuset", "devices", "freezer", "memory"},
+	Cgroups: []string{"cpu", "cpuacct", "cpuset", "devices", "freezer", "memory", "pids"},
 	CgroupsOptional: []string{
 		// The hugetlb cgroup is optional since some kernels are compiled without support for huge pages
 		// and therefore lacks corresponding hugetlb cgroup
 		"hugetlb",
-		// The pids cgroup is optional since it is only used when at least one of the feature flags "SupportPodPidsLimit" and
-		// "SupportNodePidsLimit" is enabled
-		"pids",
 	},
-	CgroupsV2:         []string{"cpu", "cpuset", "devices", "freezer", "memory"},
-	CgroupsV2Optional: []string{"hugetlb", "pids"},
+	CgroupsV2:         []string{"cpu", "cpuset", "devices", "freezer", "memory", "pids"},
+	CgroupsV2Optional: []string{"hugetlb"},
 	RuntimeSpec: RuntimeSpec{
 		DockerSpec: &DockerSpec{
 			Version:     []string{`1\.1[1-3]\..*`, `17\.0[3,6,9]\..*`, `18\.0[6,9]\..*`, `19\.03\..*`},
diff --git a/vendor/modules.txt b/vendor/modules.txt
index 761460d9431..6ab35965df7 100644
--- a/vendor/modules.txt
+++ b/vendor/modules.txt
@@ -2462,9 +2462,9 @@ k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/registry/wardle/fischer
 k8s.io/sample-apiserver/pkg/registry/wardle/flunder
 # k8s.io/sample-cli-plugin => ./staging/src/k8s.io/sample-cli-plugin
 # k8s.io/sample-controller => ./staging/src/k8s.io/sample-controller
-# k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2 => k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2
+# k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0 => k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0
 ## explicit
-# k8s.io/system-validators => k8s.io/system-validators v1.1.2
+# k8s.io/system-validators => k8s.io/system-validators v1.2.0
 k8s.io/system-validators/validators
 # k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73 => k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20200729134348-d5654de09c73
 ## explicit