XK0-006 Security Practice Question
A system administrator configures PAM to enforce account lockout after 3 failed login attempts. Which PAM module should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse pam_faillock with pam_tally2 (a legacy module) or assume pam_unix alone can enforce lockout, but pam_unix lacks built-in lockout tracking and requires pam_faillock or pam_tally2 for that feature.
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
✓
pam_faillock
pam_faillock is the correct PAM module for enforcing account lockout after a specified number of failed login attempts. It tracks failed authentication attempts per user and can lock the account when the threshold (e.g., 3 attempts) is reached, typically by writing to a tally file like /var/log/faillock.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
pam_faillock
Why this is correct
pam_faillock manages account lockout based on failed attempts.
- ✗
pam_pwquality
Why it's wrong here
pam_pwquality enforces password complexity, not lockout.
- ✗
pam_securetty
Why it's wrong here
pam_securetty restricts root login to secure terminals.
- ✗
pam_unix
Why it's wrong here
pam_unix handles standard authentication, not lockout.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
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
PAM
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a security framework that controls, monitors, and audits access to critical systems and accounts with elevated permissions.
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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.