Raul wants to know where to find encrypted passwords in a secured Linux server. Where is this information located on the hard drive?

A.
/etc/shadow

B.
/etc/passwd

C.
/ secure/etc/shadow
1D0-470

D.
/etc/security/shadow

Explanation:

User accounts, ids and passwords, on UNIX and Linux servers are by default stored in the /etc/passwd file. However, this file is world readable and somewhat of a security risk. On a secure server the shadow password format is used instead. This method stores account information in the /etc/passwd file in a compatible format. However, the password is stored as a single “x” character (ie. not actually stored in this file). A second file, called “/etc/shadow”, contains encrypted password as well as other information such as account or password expiration values, etc. The /etc/shadow file is readable only by the root account and is therefore less of a security risk.
Incorrect Answers:
B: On a secure server the /etc/passwd file is not used to store passwords.
C: The /secure/etc/shadow file is not used to store passwords.
D: The /etc/security/shadow file is not used to store passwords.