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LFCS · Question #487
LFCS Question #487: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is D: x. The 'x' character in the password field of /etc/passwd signifies that the actual encrypted password resides in the more secure /etc/shadow file.
Submitted by sofia.br· Apr 18, 2026User and Group Management
Question
Which of the following characters in the password field of /etc/passwd is used to indicate that the encrypted password is stored in /etc/shadow?
Options
- A*
- B-
- Cs
- Dx
Explanation
The 'x' character in the password field of /etc/passwd signifies that the actual encrypted password resides in the more secure /etc/shadow file.
Common mistakes.
- A. While an asterisk
*can appear in the password field, it typically indicates that the account is locked or disabled, not that the password is in/etc/shadow. - B. A hyphen
-is not a standard character used in the password field to indicate shadow passwords. - C. The character 's' is not used as a placeholder for shadow passwords in
/etc/passwd.
Concept tested. Shadow password file indicator
Topics
#passwd file structure#shadow file#user authentication#password storage
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