GSEC Question #156: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is B. /etc/shadow. The /etc/shadow file in Linux stores hashed (shadowed) user passwords and related password aging information, separated from the world-readable /etc/passwd file.

Question

Which of the following files contains the shadowed password entries in Linux?

Options

A/etc/passwd
B/etc/shadow
C/etc/profile
D/etc/shdpwd

Explanation

The /etc/shadow file in Linux stores hashed (shadowed) user passwords and related password aging information, separated from the world-readable /etc/passwd file.

Common mistakes.

A. /etc/passwd stores user account information such as username, UID, GID, home directory, and shell, but in modern shadow-enabled Linux systems the password field contains only an 'x' placeholder - not the actual hash.
C. /etc/profile is a shell initialization script that sets system-wide environment variables and startup programs for interactive login shells, and contains no password data.
D. /etc/shdpwd is not a standard or valid Linux system file; it does not exist in any standard Linux distribution.

Concept tested. Linux shadow password file location and purpose

Reference. https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/shadow.5.html

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