XK0-006 Security Practice Question
A user reports they cannot log in after three failed password attempts. The system uses PAM with pam_faillock. Which command can the administrator use to view the number of failed attempts for the user?
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
✓
faillock --user username
The system uses PAM with pam_faillock, a modern lockout module. The 'faillock' command is specifically designed to display and manage failure counts for this module. 'pam_tally2' is used with the older pam_tally2 module and is not applicable here.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
faillock --user username
Why this is correct
Correct. The faillock command with the --user option shows the number of failed login attempts recorded by pam_faillock.
- ✗
ausearch -m USER_LOGIN -ui username
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. ausearch -m USER_LOGIN searches audit logs but requires the auditd service and is not the direct command for viewing pam_faillock counts.
- ✗
pam_tally2 --user username
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. pam_tally2 is used with the older pam_tally2 module, not pam_faillock.
- ✗
lastb username
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. lastb displays failed login attempts from the /var/log/wtmp file, not PAM-specific failure counts.
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
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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