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312-50V13 · Question #184

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

The correct answer is C. wtmp. This question asks to identify which file from the given options does not primarily log login attempts in a Linux system.

Submitted by lucia.co· Mar 6, 2026System Hacking

Question

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

Options

  • Auser.log
  • Bauth.fesg
  • Cwtmp
  • Dbtmp

How the community answered

(33 responses)
  • A
    3% (1)
  • C
    94% (31)
  • D
    3% (1)

Why each option

This question asks to identify which file from the given options does not primarily log login attempts in a Linux system.

Auser.log

`user.log` is a general syslog output file that can contain various messages, including some related to user authentication or session activities depending on system configuration.

Bauth.fesg

Assuming `auth.fesg` is a typo for `auth.log`, this file records detailed authentication and authorization events, which directly include login attempts.

CwtmpCorrect

While `wtmp` is a binary log that records successful user logins and system reboots, it tracks session start and end rather than the raw authentication attempts themselves. Other files like `auth.log` (implicitly `auth.fesg`) and `btmp` more directly log authentication attempts or failures.

Dbtmp

`btmp` is a binary log file that specifically records failed login attempts, providing crucial information about unsuccessful authentication processes.

Concept tested: Linux login log files distinction

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

Topics

#Linux logs#Log analysis#Post-exploitation#Evidence evasion

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