EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. After mounting /dev/sdb1 with the noexec option, a script located at /mnt/data/test.file cannot be executed. What change will allow execution while maintaining security?
⚠ Common exam trap
In RHEL, the noexec mount option overrides any execute permissions set on files, regardless of chmod. The common mistake is trying to fix permissions instead of modifying the mount options via /etc/fstab and remounting with exec.
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
✓
Change the mount option to exec in /etc/fstab and remount
The noexec mount option prevents execution of any binaries or scripts on the filesystem, regardless of file permissions. To allow execution while maintaining security, you must change the mount option to exec in /etc/fstab and remount the filesystem (e.g., mount -o remount,exec /mnt/data). This approach preserves other mount options and avoids the security risks of removing noexec globally.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Copy the script to /tmp and run from there
Why it's wrong here
Copying the script to /tmp sidesteps the noexec restriction because /tmp is typically mounted with exec, but this does not change the fact that /mnt/data remains noexec. The script's runtime environment may also depend on paths or libraries located on the original mount, causing failures when executed from /tmp. The proper fix is to modify the mount options, not relocate the file.
- ✗
Use chmod +x /mnt/data/test.file
Why it's wrong here
The 'Permission denied' error, rather than 'command not found', indicates the file already has execute permission or at least the kernel rejects the execution at the filesystem layer. chmod +x changes the inode's mode bits, but the noexec mount option causes the VFS to deny execve regardless of those bits. Since noexec is a per-mount kernel flag, file permission manipulation cannot override it.
- ✓
Change the mount option to exec in /etc/fstab and remount
Why this is correct
Alter the /etc/fstab entry for /dev/sdb1 to include exec (or remove noexec), then run mount -o remount /mnt/data to re-read the options without a full unmount. This tells the kernel that the filesystem is allowed to serve as a source of executable programs. Using fstab ensures the change survives a reboot, and the remount applies it immediately to the mounted filesystem.
- ✗
Remount without noexec and add setuid bit
Why it's wrong here
While removing noexec is necessary to permit execution, adding the setuid bit is not only irrelevant but dangerous: setuid affects the effective UID of a process, not whether the kernel will load the binary. Moreover, Linux ignores setuid on script files, and a setuid binary on a non-security-controlled mount could escalate privileges. The question only requires enabling execution, so the setuid modification is an unnecessary and harmful extra step.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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