Which character in the password field of /etc/passwd is used to indicate that the encrypted password is stored in /etc/shadow?

The correct answer is E. x. On Linux systems, an x in the password field of /etc/passwd is a placeholder that signals the actual encrypted password hash is stored in /etc/shadow rather than in /etc/passwd itself - this separation exists because /etc/passwd is world-readable, while /etc/shadow is…

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Question

Which character in the password field of /etc/passwd is used to indicate that the encrypted password is stored in /etc/shadow?

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How the community answered

(29 responses)

A
17% (5)
B
7% (2)
C
3% (1)
E
72% (21)

Explanation

On Linux systems, an x in the password field of /etc/passwd is a placeholder that signals the actual encrypted password hash is stored in /etc/shadow rather than in /etc/passwd itself - this separation exists because /etc/passwd is world-readable, while /etc/shadow is restricted to root. The asterisk (*) and exclamation mark are used to indicate a locked or disabled account, not a shadow redirect. A hyphen (-) has no standard meaning in this field, s is not a recognized convention, and # is used as a comment character in many config files but not in /etc/passwd password fields. A helpful memory tip: think of x as marking the spot where the password used to be - it's an "X marks the (empty) treasure chest," with the real treasure locked away in /etc/shadow.

Topics

#/etc/passwd#/etc/shadow#password encryption#user authentication

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