XK0-006 Security Practice Question
Which file contains the password aging information such as minimum and maximum days between password changes?
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
✓
/etc/shadow
/etc/shadow stores password hashes and aging fields like min, max, warn, and inactive days. /etc/passwd has basic user info, /etc/login.defs has system defaults, and /etc/security/limits.conf sets resource limits.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
/etc/shadow
Why this is correct
Contains password aging fields: min, max, warn, inactive, expire.
- ✗
/etc/security/limits.conf
Why it's wrong here
Configures ulimit settings, not password aging.
- ✗
/etc/passwd
Why it's wrong here
Contains user account details but not aging.
- ✗
/etc/login.defs
Why it's wrong here
Contains default values for password aging, but actual per-user aging is in shadow.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
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
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.
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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.