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312-50V11 · Question #716

You have successfully logged on a Linux system. You want to now cover your track. Your login attempt may be logged on several files located in /var/log. Which file does NOT belong to the list:

The correct answer is B. user.log. Most standard Linux login-tracking log files live in /var/log, but 'user.log' is not a standard login-tracking file on most distributions. The others - wtmp, btmp, and auth.log - all record login activity.

System Hacking

Question

You have successfully logged on a Linux system. You want to now cover your track. Your login attempt may be logged on several files located in /var/log. Which file does NOT belong to the list:

Options

  • Awtmp
  • Buser.log
  • Cbtmp
  • Dauth.log

How the community answered

(32 responses)
  • A
    16% (5)
  • B
    72% (23)
  • C
    9% (3)
  • D
    3% (1)

Why each option

Most standard Linux login-tracking log files live in /var/log, but 'user.log' is not a standard login-tracking file on most distributions. The others - wtmp, btmp, and auth.log - all record login activity.

Awtmp

wtmp is a standard binary log that records all successful logins and logouts, readable via the 'last' command.

Buser.logCorrect

There is no standard 'user.log' file in /var/log dedicated to tracking login attempts on Linux systems. wtmp records successful logins and logouts, btmp records failed login attempts, and auth.log records authentication events including SSH and sudo - all of which an attacker would target when covering tracks.

Cbtmp

btmp records failed login attempts and is read with 'lastb', making it a primary target for attackers covering tracks.

Dauth.log

auth.log captures PAM, SSH, and sudo authentication events and is a well-known login-related log file on Debian-based systems.

Concept tested: Linux login tracking log files in /var/log

Source: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/wtmp.5.html

Topics

#log tampering#Linux logs#covering tracks#audit logs

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