200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
An analyst is examining a Linux system for persistence mechanisms. Which of the following files should be reviewed to detect cron-based persistence?
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
✓
/var/spool/cron/crontabs
Cron jobs can be set in /etc/crontab, /etc/cron.d/, and user-specific crontabs in /var/spool/cron/. /var/spool/cron/crontabs contains per-user crontabs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
/var/log/auth.log
Why it's wrong here
Auth log contains authentication attempts, not scheduled jobs.
- ✗
/etc/passwd
Why it's wrong here
Passwd file lists users, not cron jobs.
- ✗
/home/user/.bash_history
Why it's wrong here
Bash history records commands, not scheduled tasks.
- ✓
/var/spool/cron/crontabs
Why this is correct
Correct. User crontabs are stored here.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 200-201 exam.