GCFA · Question #207
Which of the following files contains the salted passwords in the Linux operating system?
The correct answer is D. /etc/shadow. In Linux, the /etc/shadow file stores salted and hashed user passwords with highly restricted permissions, separating sensitive credential data from the world-readable /etc/passwd file.
Question
Which of the following files contains the salted passwords in the Linux operating system?
Options
- A/bin/passwd
- B/etc/passwd
- C/bin/shadow
- D/etc/shadow
How the community answered
(29 responses)- A7% (2)
- B7% (2)
- C3% (1)
- D83% (24)
Why each option
In Linux, the /etc/shadow file stores salted and hashed user passwords with highly restricted permissions, separating sensitive credential data from the world-readable /etc/passwd file.
/bin/passwd is the executable binary for the passwd command used to change user passwords, not a file that stores password hashes.
/etc/passwd stores user account metadata such as username, UID, GID, and home directory, but in modern Linux systems the password field contains only an 'x' placeholder pointing to /etc/shadow.
/bin/shadow does not exist as a standard Linux file; the shadow password file is located at /etc/shadow, not under the /bin/ directory.
/etc/shadow stores the actual salted password hashes along with password aging information, and is readable only by root to prevent unauthorized access to credential data. Modern Linux systems moved password hashes from /etc/passwd to /etc/shadow specifically to improve security by restricting access to hashed credentials.
Concept tested: Linux shadow password file location and purpose
Source: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/shadow.5.html
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