This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 needs to implement file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to critical system binaries. The administrator decides to use the 'aide' tool. After installing AIDE and initializing the database with 'aide --init', the database is placed at /var/lib/aide/aide.db.new.gz. The administrator then runs 'aide --check' and receives several warnings about files in /tmp being modified. However, the administrator is not concerned about /tmp. What is the simplest way to exclude the /tmp directory from future checks?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Edit /etc/aide.conf to add a '!/tmp' directive to exclude /tmp from checking, then run 'aide --init' to rebuild the database
Option D is correct because AIDE uses a configuration file (/etc/aide.conf) to define which directories and files to monitor. Adding '!/tmp' to this file tells AIDE to exclude the /tmp directory from all future checks. After editing the configuration, running 'aide --init' rebuilds the database based on the new rules, ensuring /tmp is no longer tracked.
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.
✗
Run 'aide --update' to update the database with current state of /tmp
Why it's wrong here
This would include /tmp as baseline, not exclude it.
✗
Move the database to a different location so /tmp is not included
Why it's wrong here
The database location does not affect what is checked; it only stores the baseline.
✗
Run 'aide --check --verbose' to see more details and manually ignore /tmp messages
Why it's wrong here
Verbose output does not exclude; it just shows more detail.
✓
Edit /etc/aide.conf to add a '!/tmp' directive to exclude /tmp from checking, then run 'aide --init' to rebuild the database
Why this is correct
The exclamation mark in aide.conf excludes a directory from monitoring.
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 may think '--update' or moving the database will exclude directories, when in fact only the configuration file controls which paths are monitored.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Verbose output does not exclude; it just shows more detail.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) works by creating a cryptographic hash database of files based on rules in /etc/aide.conf. The '!' prefix in a rule is a negation directive that excludes matching paths from monitoring. After modifying the config, 'aide --init' generates a new baseline database (aide.db.new.gz) that excludes /tmp, and renaming it to aide.db.gz (or using 'aide --update') finalizes the change. In real-world scenarios, excluding volatile directories like /tmp or /var/tmp is common to reduce false positives in intrusion detection.
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 practitioner preparing for the XK0-005 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this XK0-005 question in full detail.
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: Edit /etc/aide.conf to add a '!/tmp' directive to exclude /tmp from checking, then run 'aide --init' to rebuild the database — Option D is correct because AIDE uses a configuration file (/etc/aide.conf) to define which directories and files to monitor. Adding '!/tmp' to this file tells AIDE to exclude the /tmp directory from all future checks. After editing the configuration, running 'aide --init' rebuilds the database based on the new rules, ensuring /tmp is no longer tracked.
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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