The answer is to review and remove any sudo privileges granted to the 'www-data' user in /etc/sudoers, ensuring the application does not require sudo. This is correct because a sudo misconfiguration privilege escalation typically occurs when an unprivileged user like www-data is allowed to execute commands as root via an overly permissive sudoers entry; removing that rule directly severs the attack path without affecting the web application, which only needs to listen on TCP port 8080 and does not require root access. On the LPIC-2 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of sudoers syntax, privilege separation, and the principle of least privilege—a common trap is assuming you need to restrict the application’s network port or SSH service instead of addressing the root cause in sudo configuration. Remember the memory tip: "No sudo, no root jump"—if the user has no sudo rights, privilege escalation via sudo is impossible.
LPIC-2 System Security Practice Question
This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of system security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
You are the security administrator for a company that runs a web application on a Linux server. The application runs under the user 'www-data' and listens on TCP port 8080. The server also runs an SSH service on port 22. Recently, an external penetration test revealed that an attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the web application to execute commands as the 'www-data' user, and from there, the attacker could escalate privileges to root due to a misconfigured sudo rule. You need to implement a defense-in-depth approach to limit the impact of such an attack. Which single action would be the most effective in preventing privilege escalation from the 'www-data' user to root, while still allowing the application to function normally?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review and remove any sudo privileges granted to the 'www-data' user in /etc/sudoers, and ensure the application does not require sudo.
Option A is correct because the core issue is a misconfigured sudo rule that allows the 'www-data' user to execute commands as root. By reviewing and removing any sudo privileges for 'www-data' in /etc/sudoers, you directly eliminate the privilege escalation path without affecting the web application's normal operation, as the application itself does not require sudo to function on its designated port 8080.
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.
✓
Review and remove any sudo privileges granted to the 'www-data' user in /etc/sudoers, and ensure the application does not require sudo.
Why this is correct
Directly eliminates the escalation path.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change the SSH port to a non-standard port to reduce the attack surface.
Why it's wrong here
Does not address local privilege escalation from www-data.
✗
Run the web application in a chroot jail to isolate it from the rest of the filesystem.
Why it's wrong here
Chroot does not prevent sudo execution if the sudo binary and configuration are accessible.
✗
Implement mandatory access control with AppArmor profiles for the web application.
Why it's wrong here
AppArmor can restrict capabilities but does not override explicit sudo permissions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose AppArmor or chroot as a general security measure, overlooking that the specific vulnerability is a misconfigured sudo rule, which must be fixed directly to prevent privilege escalation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The sudoers file (/etc/sudoers) controls which users can execute commands with elevated privileges; a common misconfiguration is granting 'www-data' ALL privileges or specific commands like '/bin/bash' without a password. Removing such entries ensures that even if the web application is compromised, the attacker cannot leverage sudo to gain root access, which is a direct mitigation of the privilege escalation vector identified in the penetration test.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
System Security — This question tests System Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review and remove any sudo privileges granted to the 'www-data' user in /etc/sudoers, and ensure the application does not require sudo. — Option A is correct because the core issue is a misconfigured sudo rule that allows the 'www-data' user to execute commands as root. By reviewing and removing any sudo privileges for 'www-data' in /etc/sudoers, you directly eliminate the privilege escalation path without affecting the web application's normal operation, as the application itself does not require sudo to function on its designated port 8080.
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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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.
Question Discussion
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