LPIC-2 DNS, Web and Mail Services Practice Question
This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of dns, web and mail services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is migrating from Apache HTTPD 2.2 to 2.4 and needs to configure SSL for a virtual host. The administrator wants to use modern security practices. Which of the following configurations is the most secure and recommended for Apache 2.4?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SSLEngine on; SSLProtocol all -SSLv3 -TLSv1 -TLSv1.1; SSLCipherSuite HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5
Option C is correct because it explicitly enables only TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 (by disabling SSLv3, TLSv1.0, and TLSv1.1) and uses the HIGH cipher suite with exclusion of aNULL (anonymous NULL ciphers) and MD5 (weak hash). This aligns with modern security standards (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST) and Apache 2.4's recommended hardening practices, avoiding deprecated protocols and weak ciphers.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Allows all protocols including insecure ones, and depends on default ciphers which may include weak choices.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option B because they think specifying only TLSv1.2 and TLSv1.3 is sufficient, but they overlook that 'ECDHE+AESGCM' is not a complete cipher string and fails to exclude weak ciphers like those with MD5 or anonymous key exchange, which Apache will still negotiate if not explicitly denied.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Apache 2.4 uses OpenSSL's cipher string format; 'HIGH' selects ciphers with key lengths >= 128 bits and strong algorithms (e.g., AES, ChaCha20), while '!aNULL' removes anonymous Diffie-Hellman ciphers that provide no authentication, and '!MD5' removes ciphers using the MD5 hash, which is collision-prone. The 'SSLProtocol all -SSLv3 -TLSv1 -TLSv1.1' syntax is a subtractive approach that ensures only TLSv1.2 and TLSv1.3 are enabled, as Apache's 'all' includes all supported protocols except SSLv2 by default in 2.4.26+. In real-world scenarios, failing to disable TLSv1.0 can lead to BEAST attack vulnerabilities, and using 'DEFAULT' ciphers may allow export-grade ciphers (e.g., EXP) that are easily broken.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-2 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
DNS, Web and Mail Services — This question tests DNS, Web and Mail Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SSLEngine on; SSLProtocol all -SSLv3 -TLSv1 -TLSv1.1; SSLCipherSuite HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5 — Option C is correct because it explicitly enables only TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 (by disabling SSLv3, TLSv1.0, and TLSv1.1) and uses the HIGH cipher suite with exclusion of aNULL (anonymous NULL ciphers) and MD5 (weak hash). This aligns with modern security standards (e.g., PCI DSS, NIST) and Apache 2.4's recommended hardening practices, avoiding deprecated protocols and weak ciphers.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-2 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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