LFCS Networking Practice Question
A system administrator needs to check the firewall rules on a Linux server using firewalld. Which two commands can be used to list the current rules? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse legacy iptables commands with firewalld's native tools, assuming `iptables -L` or `-S` are equivalent to listing firewalld rules, when in fact they bypass firewalld's zone abstraction and may not reflect the current dynamic configuration.
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
✓
firewall-cmd --list-all-zones
`firewall-cmd --list-all-zones` displays the firewall rules for all zones configured in firewalld, showing services, ports, and rules per zone. Option E is correct because `firewall-cmd --list-all` lists the rules for the default zone, providing a concise view of active firewall configuration. Both commands are native to firewalld and directly query its runtime and permanent rules via D-Bus.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl status firewalld
Why it's wrong here
This command shows the status of the firewalld service (running or not), not the firewall rules themselves. It does not list any rules.
- ✗
iptables -S
Why it's wrong here
This command lists rules in the legacy iptables table. However, firewalld uses nftables as its backend, and iptables rules may not reflect the current firewalld configuration. It bypasses firewalld's zone abstraction.
- ✗
iptables -L
Why it's wrong here
Similar to iptables -S, this command lists iptables rules but does not query firewalld's native configuration. It may show rules that are not managed by firewalld.
- ✓
firewall-cmd --list-all-zones
Why this is correct
Correct. This command displays the firewall rules for all zones configured in firewalld, including services, ports, and rules per zone.
- ✓
firewall-cmd --list-all
Why this is correct
Correct. This command lists the rules for the default zone, providing a concise view of the active firewalld configuration.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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