XK0-006 usermod -e Practice Question
A security audit reveals that user accounts remain active after employees leave the company. Which TWO commands should be used to disable an account immediately?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may think locking and expiring are equivalent, but expiring disables all login methods while locking only disables password logins. The question asks for two commands to disable immediately, so the best pair is usermod -e for full expiration and usermod -L for password lock.
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
✓
usermod -e 1 username
To disable an account immediately, `usermod -e 1 username` (option B) sets the account expiration date to January 1, 1970, which immediately expires the account and prevents all login methods. `usermod -L username` (option C) locks the user's password, preventing password-based authentication. Both commands together provide immediate disablement covering all authentication paths. Option D also locks the password but is redundant with C; the question asks for two commands, so B and C are the most appropriate. Option A sets expiration to 0 days after epoch, which may not disable immediately. Option E deletes the account, which is not the same as disabling.
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 -E 0 username
Why it's wrong here
chage -E 0 sets the expiration date to 0 days after epoch, which is ambiguous and may not disable the account immediately; it is not the correct command.
- ✓
usermod -e 1 username
Why this is correct
Correct. usermod -e 1 sets the account to expire on January 1, 1970, immediately disabling all login methods.
- ✓
usermod -L username
Why this is correct
Correct. usermod -L locks the user's password, preventing password authentication.
- ✗
passwd -l username
Why it's wrong here
passwd -l also locks the password, but it is similar to usermod -L. Since the question asks for two commands, usermod -L is preferred over passwd -l because it is more comprehensive with other flags.
- ✗
userdel username
Why it's wrong here
userdel deletes the user account entirely, which is not just disabling and is irreversible; not the correct action for immediate disablement.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
User and Group Administration
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
usermod
usermod is a Linux command that modifies existing user account settings like group membership, home directory, or login shell.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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