- A
auditctl and ausearch
Why wrong: auditctl sets audit rules, but does not generate policy.
- B
ausearch and restorecon
Why wrong: restorecon restores file contexts, not policy generation.
- C
aureport and audit2why
Why wrong: aureport generates summary reports, not detailed events. audit2why is not a standard tool.
- D
ausearch and audit2allow
ausearch retrieves the denial, and audit2allow creates a policy module to allow it.
Question 388 of 1,000
XK0-005 Security Practice Question
This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A Linux administrator is troubleshooting a service that fails to start. The audit.log shows an AVC denial related to the httpd_t domain. The administrator wants to see the full denial message and generate a policy to allow the access. Which two commands should be used in conjunction?
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
✓
ausearch and audit2allow
The correct answer is D because `ausearch` retrieves the full AVC denial message from the audit log, and `audit2allow` generates a policy module to allow the denied access. Together, they enable the administrator to first identify the exact denial and then create a custom SELinux policy to permit the httpd_t domain's blocked action.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
auditctl and ausearch
Why it's wrong here
auditctl sets audit rules, but does not generate policy.
- ✗
ausearch and restorecon
Why it's wrong here
restorecon restores file contexts, not policy generation.
- ✗
aureport and audit2why
Why it's wrong here
aureport generates summary reports, not detailed events. audit2why is not a standard tool.
- ✓
ausearch and audit2allow
Why this is correct
ausearch retrieves the denial, and audit2allow creates a policy module to allow it.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse `ausearch` with `aureport` or `auditctl`, or think `restorecon` can fix AVC denials, when in fact only `ausearch` paired with `audit2allow` provides the complete solution for generating a custom policy from a denial message.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `ausearch -m avc` queries the audit subsystem for AVC records, outputting the full denial with source/target contexts and permissions. `audit2allow` reads that output and creates a Type Enforcement (.te) file, which can be compiled into a policy module using `checkmodule` and `semodule_package`, then loaded with `semodule -i`. In real-world scenarios, this workflow is essential when a custom application or service triggers denials that cannot be resolved by simply adjusting booleans or file contexts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this XK0-005 question test?
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ausearch and audit2allow — The correct answer is D because `ausearch` retrieves the full AVC denial message from the audit log, and `audit2allow` generates a policy module to allow the denied access. Together, they enable the administrator to first identify the exact denial and then create a custom SELinux policy to permit the httpd_t domain's blocked action.
What should I do if I get this XK0-005 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This XK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 XK0-005 exam.
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