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XK0-005 · Question #72

An administrator is analyzing a Linux server which was recently hacked. Which of the following will the administrator use to find all unsuccessful login attempts?

The correct answer is C. pam_tally2. The pam_tally2 utility is the primary tool used to display and manage the count of failed login attempts for users on a Linux system.

Security

Question

An administrator is analyzing a Linux server which was recently hacked. Which of the following will the administrator use to find all unsuccessful login attempts?

Options

  • Ansswitch
  • Bfaillock
  • Cpam_tally2
  • Dpasswd

How the community answered

(27 responses)
  • A
    4% (1)
  • B
    7% (2)
  • C
    81% (22)
  • D
    7% (2)

Why each option

The `pam_tally2` utility is the primary tool used to display and manage the count of failed login attempts for users on a Linux system.

Ansswitch

`nsswitch` refers to the `nsswitch.conf` file, which configures the order of name service lookups, not for reporting login attempts.

Bfaillock

`faillock` (or `pam_faillock`) is a PAM module that locks user accounts after a certain number of failed attempts; while it tracks failures, `pam_tally2` is the command-line tool for auditing these counts.

Cpam_tally2Correct

The `pam_tally2` utility is specifically designed to query and reset the count of failed authentication attempts for individual users, providing the administrator with a clear record of unsuccessful login attempts.

Dpasswd

`passwd` is a command used to change user passwords and related account information, not for finding or reporting unsuccessful login attempts.

Concept tested: PAM failed login auditing

Source: https://linux.die.net/man/8/pam_tally2

Topics

#Linux security#Failed logins#PAM#System auditing

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