XK0-006 Security Practice Question
A Linux administrator needs to configure auditing to monitor changes to the /etc/passwd file. Which auditctl command should be used?
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
✓
auditctl -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k passwd_changes
The correct command is option B. It uses the -w watch syntax to monitor /etc/passwd for write (w) and attribute change (a) permissions, which is the standard and simplest method for auditing changes. Option D is a valid syscall-based alternative but is more complex and not the best answer for this question. Option A includes read permission, which is unnecessary. Option C monitors unlink and rename syscalls, not direct file modifications.
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 -w /etc/passwd -p rwxa -k passwd_changes
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because it includes r (read) and x (execute) permissions, which are unnecessary for monitoring changes to /etc/passwd. The typical use case is to monitor writes and attribute changes only.
- ✓
auditctl -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k passwd_changes
Why this is correct
Correct. The -w flag watches a file, -p wa specifies permissions to monitor (write and attribute change), and -k adds a key for filtering. This is the standard auditctl command for file change monitoring.
- ✗
auditctl -a exit,always -S unlink -S rename -F path=/etc/passwd
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because it uses syscall monitoring for unlink and rename, which track file deletion and renaming, not modifications to the file's content or attributes.
- ✗
auditctl -a always,exit -F path=/etc/passwd -F perm=wa -k passwd_changes
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect for this context. The -a always,exit syntax is used for syscall-based auditing, not direct file watching. Although it can be configured to monitor file permissions, it is more complex and not the intended command for simple file change monitoring.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
passwd
passwd is a command-line utility used on Linux and Unix-like systems to change a user's password, typically stored in an encrypted format in the /etc/shadow file.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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