How can a non-privileged user on a Unix system determine if shadow passwords are being used?
How can a non-privileged user on a Unix system determine if shadow passwords are being used?
A non-privileged user on a Unix system can determine if shadow passwords are being used by reading the /etc/password file and looking for 'x' or 'II' in the second colon-delimited field. This field indicates that the actual encrypted passwords are stored in the /etc/shadow file, which provides enhanced security. Non-privileged users do not have access to read the /etc/shadow file directly to check for password-related information.
The correct answer is A. non-privileged users cannot read /etc/shadow.
Normally A would be correct - but reading further, there are other arguments that says B is very possible.. https://superuser.com/questions/1391307/how-could-a-hacker-access-the-etc-shadow-file-if-it-is-only-accessible-by-root https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/90929/why-have-programs-like-su-access-to-etc-shadow