XK0-006 Security Practice Question
A Linux administrator needs to ensure that user passwords expire after 90 days. Which command should be used to enforce this policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse `passwd -x` (which does set max days but is less commonly used and not the recommended tool for policy enforcement) with `chage -M`, or they misremember `usermod -e` as password aging when it actually controls account expiry.
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
✓
chage -M 90 username
The `chage -M 90 username` command sets the maximum number of days a password is valid before it must be changed, enforcing a 90-day expiration policy. This directly modifies the `PASS_MAX_DAYS` field in `/etc/shadow` for the specified user, which the system checks during authentication.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
chage -M 90 username
Why this is correct
chage -M sets the maximum password age in days.
- ✗
passwd -x 90 username
Why it's wrong here
passwd -x is not a valid option.
- ✗
passwd -e 90 username
Why it's wrong here
The passwd command does not have an -e option for setting expiration days.
- ✗
usermod -e 90 username
Why it's wrong here
usermod -e sets an account expiration date, not password aging.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
About these practice questions
This XK0-006 question is part of Courseiva's 979-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.