CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601) — Question 552

A systems administrator is auditing all company servers to ensure they meet the minimum security baseline. While auditing a Linux server, the systems administrator observes the /etc/shadow file has permissions beyond the baseline recommendation. Which of the following commands should the systems administrator use to resolve this issue?

Answer options

• A. chmod
• B. grep
• C. dd
• D. passwd

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct command is 'chmod' because it is specifically designed to change file permissions, allowing the administrator to set the /etc/shadow file to the appropriate security level. The other options, such as 'grep' and 'dd', do not have the capability to modify file permissions, while 'passwd' is used for managing user passwords, not file permissions.