hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. -- Logs begin at Tue 2023-06-01 08:15:32 EDT, end at Tue 2023-06-01 09:23:11 EDT. -- Jun 01 08:20:01 server sshd[1234]: Connection from 192.168.1.100 port 22 Jun 01 08:20:05 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2 Jun 01 08:20:10 server sshd[1234]: Connection closed by authenticating user root 192.168.1.100 port 22 [preauth]
Refer to the exhibit. A remote user is unable to SSH to the server. Based on the journalctl output, what is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between authentication failures (password/keys) and connectivity failures (service down, firewall, hosts.deny) — the trap here is that candidates see 'Connection closed' and assume a firewall or hosts.deny block, but the 'Failed password' line clearly pinpoints the authentication phase.
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
✓
The user is entering the wrong password
The journalctl output shows 'Failed password for user' followed by 'Connection closed by authenticating user', which indicates that the SSH authentication process was attempted but failed due to an incorrect password. This log entry is generated by the SSH daemon (sshd) when a password authentication attempt fails, and the connection is subsequently closed. No other errors (e.g., connection refused, timeout, or denied by hosts.deny) are present, making incorrect password the most likely cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The user is entering the wrong password
Why this is correct
Failed password attempt is logged.
- ✗
The SSH service is not running
Why it's wrong here
The log shows connections are being processed.
- ✗
The user's IP address is in the hosts.deny file
Why it's wrong here
Would show a different log message, like 'Connection refused'.
- ✗
The SSH port is blocked by a firewall
Why it's wrong here
Connections are reaching the server.
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
journalctl
Journalctl is a command-line tool used to view and query logs collected by the systemd journal, which stores system and application messages on Linux systems.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every XK0-006 question from scratch — 979 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.