System User's Encrypted Passwords
Question
An administrator needs to see a list of the system user's encrypted passwords.
Which of the following Linux files does the administrator need to read?
Answers
Explanations
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A. B. C. D.A.
The administrator needs to read the /etc/shadow file to see a list of the system user's encrypted passwords.
On a Linux system, user account information, including usernames, user IDs, encrypted passwords, and other related information, is stored in various system files. These files are located in the /etc directory.
The /etc/passwd file stores basic user account information, including usernames, user IDs, home directories, and login shells. However, for security reasons, the passwords themselves are not stored in this file. Instead, the passwords are stored in the /etc/shadow file.
The /etc/shadow file is readable only by the root user, and it contains the encrypted password strings for all user accounts on the system. The password strings are encrypted using a one-way hashing algorithm, which means that it is virtually impossible to retrieve the original plaintext password from the hash.
The /etc/skel directory, on the other hand, contains a set of default files and directories that are copied to a new user's home directory when the user account is created.
Finally, there is no such file as /etc/pw.
Therefore, the correct answer is A. /etc/shadow.
