CPENT Practice Question: Privilege Escalation Lateral Movement And Post Exploitation
You are assessing a Linux privilege escalation path. Which THREE techniques would allow you to escalate to root if you have write access to the /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow file?
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
✓
Creating a new user entry with UID 0
If you can write to these files, you can create a new user with UID 0, change the root password, or add a backdoor account.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Creating a new user entry with UID 0
Why this is correct
UID 0 is reserved for the root account.
- ✓
Adding a user to the /etc/sudoers file
Why this is correct
Grants the user the ability to run commands as root.
- ✓
Changing the root password hash in /etc/shadow
Why this is correct
Allows access to the root account with a known password.
- ✗
Modifying /etc/hosts
Why it's wrong here
This affects DNS resolution, not privilege status.
- ✗
Running a kernel exploit using gcc
Why it's wrong here
This is an independent method, not related to file manipulation.
About these practice questions
This CPENT question is part of Courseiva's 274-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CPENT practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CPENT exam.