mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
systemctl status sshd.service
● sshd.service - OpenSSH server daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/sshd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2025-03-10 10:30:25 UTC; 2h 15min ago
Main PID: 1234 (sshd)
CGroup: /system.slice/sshd.service
└─1234 /usr/sbin/sshd -D
journalctl -u sshd.service -p err --since "1 hour ago"
Mar 10 12:35:01 server sshd[5678]: error: Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
Mar 10 12:35:01 server sshd[5678]: error: Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key
Mar 10 12:35:01 server sshd[5678]: fatal: No supported key exchange algorithms [preauth]Refer to the exhibit. Users report they cannot SSH to the server. Based on the logs, what is the most likely cause?
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
✓
Host keys are missing or corrupted.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Firewall is blocking port 22.
Why it's wrong here
No firewall messages are shown; the error is about key exchange algorithms.
- ✓
Host keys are missing or corrupted.
Why this is correct
The error explicitly states 'Could not load host key' for multiple key files, leading to fatal error.
- ✗
The SSH service is not running.
Why it's wrong here
systemctl shows it is active (running).
- ✗
SSH configuration has incorrect permissions.
Why it's wrong here
The logs show missing keys, not permission issues.
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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.