easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 A security audit reveals a misconfiguration Practice Question
Network Topology
A security audit reveals a misconfiguration. Which file has insecure permissions that could allow unauthorized users to read password hashes?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that /etc/passwd contains password hashes (as it did in older Unix systems), but modern Linux distributions use shadow passwords, so the hashes are exclusively in /etc/shadow.
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
✓
/etc/shadow
The /etc/shadow file stores password hashes and should be readable only by the root user (typically permissions 640 or 600). If its permissions are too permissive (e.g., world-readable), any local user could read the hashes and attempt offline cracking. This is the misconfiguration the audit would flag.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Both files are misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
Only /etc/shadow has overly permissive permissions; /etc/passwd is correctly set.
- ✓
/etc/shadow
Why this is correct
Permissions 664 allow read by group and others, which is insecure; should be 600.
- ✗
Neither file has a misconfiguration
Why it's wrong here
/etc/shadow is misconfigured.
- ✗
/etc/passwd
Why it's wrong here
Permissions 644 are standard for /etc/passwd and are considered secure; it does not contain password hashes.
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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.