LPIC-2 System Security Practice Question
An administrator wants to allow user 'john' to execute any command as root without a password. Which sudoers entry is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the 'ALL' in the command specification with the 'ALL' in the host or runas fields, or forget that omitting 'NOPASSWD' defaults to requiring a password, leading them to choose option C.
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
✓
john ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
The sudoers entry 'john ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' grants user 'john' permission to run any command as any user (including root) on any host, and the 'NOPASSWD' tag overrides the default password requirement, allowing execution without a password. The syntax follows the sudoers format: 'user host=(runas) TAG:command', where 'ALL' in each field matches any value.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
john ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
Why this is correct
This allows john to run any command as any user without a password.
- ✗
john ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:/bin/ls
Why it's wrong here
This only allows passwordless execution of /bin/ls, not all commands.
- ✗
john ALL=(ALL) ALL
Why it's wrong here
This entry allows john to run any command but requires a password.
- ✗
john ALL=(ALL) PASSWD:ALL
Why it's wrong here
The PASSWD tag requires a password, which is not desired.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-2 exam.