easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: Find out which port the SSH daemon is listening on
A technician needs to find out which port the SSH daemon is listening on. Which command will show this information?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose `lsof -i :22` because it shows port 22 activity, but they overlook that it does not specifically filter for listening sockets and may require elevated privileges, whereas `ss -tlnp` is the precise tool for listing listening daemons.
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
✓
ss -tlnp
The `ss -tlnp` command displays listening TCP sockets with numeric addresses and the associated process information. The `-t` flag filters for TCP, `-l` shows only listening sockets, `-n` prevents DNS resolution, and `-p` reveals the PID and program name. Since SSH daemon (sshd) listens on TCP port 22 by default, this command will show the listening port and the sshd process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
lsof -i :22
Why it's wrong here
Shows processes using port 22 but requires root and is less comprehensive.
- ✗
nmap -p 22 localhost
Why it's wrong here
Requires nmap and only checks a specific port.
- ✗
netstat -i
Why it's wrong here
Shows interface statistics, not listening ports.
- ✓
ss -tlnp
Why this is correct
Lists all listening TCP sockets with port numbers and process info.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
DNS
DNS is the system that translates human-friendly domain names like example.com into machine-readable IP addresses so computers can find each other on a network.
Key term
SSH
SSH (Secure Shell) is a cryptographic network protocol that provides secure, encrypted communication and remote administration between two devices over an unsecured network.
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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.