XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A user reports that they cannot access a file because permission is denied. The file's permissions are -rwsr-xr-x. What special permission is set?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is misreading which position the 's' occupies — candidates who don't carefully distinguish owner vs. group execute positions will confuse SUID with SGID.
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
✓
SUID
The permissions string `-rwsr-xr-x` shows an 's' in the owner's execute position, which is the SUID (Set User ID) bit. When SUID is set on an executable, the process runs with the effective UID of the file's owner rather than the invoking user — commonly used by utilities like `passwd` to allow normal users to modify protected files.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
No special permission
Why it's wrong here
The leading 's' in the owner execute position of -rwsr-xr-x denotes setuid, so a special permission is present. Choosing this overlooks that character entirely. It would be right only for a file showing plain rwxr-xr-x, where no setuid, setgid or sticky bit appears.
- ✓
SUID
Why this is correct
The `s` in the owner execute position of `-rwsr-xr-x` denotes SUID (Set User ID). When executed, the file runs with the owner's privileges rather than the invoking user's, satisfying the stem's requirement to identify the special permission set on this file.
- ✗
Sticky bit
Why it's wrong here
The sticky bit appears as t or T in the others-execute position, as in drwxrwxrwt; here that slot holds a plain x. It is tempting because sticky bits restrict deletion in shared directories such as /tmp, which is a directory scenario, not this file's setuid marker.
- ✗
SGID
Why it's wrong here
SGID shows as s in the group execute position, giving -rwxr-sr-x; this file has s in the owner execute slot instead. SGID is genuinely used to inherit a directory's group ownership or run a binary with group rights, but it is not the bit set here.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
passwd
passwd is a command-line utility used on Linux and Unix-like systems to change a user's password, typically stored in an encrypted format in the /etc/shadow file.
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.