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Free GLIR practice test: 30 questions with answers

30 original questions for GIAC Linux Incident Responder, drawn from every topic area. Answer each one to see whether you got it right and why. No sign-up.

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All 30 GLIR questions with answers

The same questions as the test above, grouped by exam topic. Open any question to see the answer and explanation.

Linux application events (3 questions)

  1. Question 1

    A web server access log shows repeated POST requests to /admin/upload from one external address at 03:00, each returning HTTP 200, after the address had earlier been seen only on GET requests to public pages. Which conclusion is best supported?

    1. AThe status codes prove the uploads failed, as the server rejected each file
    2. BThe address is a healthy crawler indexing the public web site on a regular basis
    3. CThe requests are normal caching behavior by the web server for cache hits
    4. DThe address may be exploiting or abusing the upload function and should be investigated
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    A change in behavior toward an administrative upload endpoint at an unusual hour is a strong indicator of abuse. HTTP 200 means the server accepted the request, so the uploads may have succeeded.

  2. Question 2

    An analyst must reconstruct which committed data changes a MySQL database made in the hours before an incident so that the data can be replayed to a point in time. Which log is the right source?

    1. AThe general query log only
    2. BThe binary log
    3. CThe error log only
    4. DThe slow query log
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    The binary log records committed changes in a replayable form, which supports point-in-time recovery and forensic reconstruction. The slow query log tracks performance and the error log tracks server events, and the general log is not a complete record of committed changes.

  3. Question 3

    A host firewall is configured to drop packets from a suspicious subnet, but the team also wants each dropped packet recorded for later analysis. Which nftables approach achieves this?

    1. ADisable the drop rule so that packets are logged by default
    2. BEnable IP forwarding for the attached subnet with sysctl
    3. CAdd a log statement with a prefix in the same rule before the drop
    4. DStore the rule in a comment that the logger later reads
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    An nftables log statement placed before drop records each matching packet with a prefix that makes it searchable. Disabling the drop or adding comments does not record packets, and forwarding is unrelated.

Linux events (3 questions)

  1. Question 4

    Which two sources record authentication attempts on a systemd-based host that an analyst should review? (Choose two.)

    1. Ajournalctl entries from the sshd unit that record login successes and failures
    2. BThe authentication log at /var/log/auth.log on Debian-based systems
    3. CThe hosts file at /etc/hosts
    4. DThe apt cache under /var/cache/apt
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    sshd writes authentication events to the journal, and Debian-based systems also write them to auth.log. The hosts file and apt cache contain no authentication records.

  2. Question 5

    An auditd rule tagged with the key identity logs writes to /etc/passwd. Which command retrieves only the audit events that carry that key?

    1. Alogrotate -f identity
    2. Bausearch -k identity
    3. Cjournalctl --grep identity
    4. Dtcpdump -r identity
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    ausearch filters the audit log by key, so -k identity returns events matching the rule tag. logrotate manages log rotation, tcpdump reads packet captures, and journalctl does not read audit keys this way.

  3. Question 6

    A host was rebooted during an intrusion, and the analyst wants the journal entries from the boot before the most recent one. Which command provides them?

    1. Ajournalctl -b -1
    2. Bjournalctl -b 0 --list
    3. Cuptime -s
    4. Djournalctl --since yesterday only
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    The -b option selects a boot by its offset, and -1 means the previous boot. The other commands list boots, filter by time, or print the current boot time, and do not return the earlier boot's entries.

Memory and device profiling (3 questions)

  1. Question 7

    Which tool is commonly used to acquire a Linux physical memory image through a loadable kernel module?

    1. Ass
    2. BLiME
    3. Clogrotate
    4. DThe Sleuth Kit fls utility
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    LiME, the Linux Memory Extractor, loads as a kernel module and writes physical memory to a file. The Sleuth Kit analyzes disk file systems, and ss and logrotate do not capture memory.

  2. Question 8

    An investigator loads a memory image into Volatility 3 and wants a list of processes as recorded in kernel memory. Which plugin fits this task?

    1. Alinux.pslist
    2. Bmac.lsof
    3. Clinux.bash
    4. Dwindows.netscan
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    The linux.pslist plugin walks the kernel task list and lists processes from the memory image. The bash plugin recovers shell history, and the windows and mac plugins apply to other operating systems.

  3. Question 9

    Running a process on a Linux host shows that /proc/PID/exe points to a path with the suffix (deleted). What does this indicate?

    1. AThe executable was removed from disk while the process keeps running from memory
    2. BThe process is a kernel thread with no disk presence and its /proc maps list no backing file
    3. CThe binary was compressed by the package manager during apt upgrade staging before unpacking
    4. DThe file has been moved to the trash directory by a desktop cleanup routine during login
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    When a running binary is deleted from disk, the kernel keeps the mapped copy and /proc shows the deleted path, which is a common malware tactic. Kernel threads have no executable file, and the other options do not match this suffix.

File system artifacts (3 questions)

  1. Question 10

    A cron-based persistence mechanism is suspected on a Linux host. Which locations should be reviewed first for system-wide scheduled tasks?

    1. A/etc/crontab and /etc/cron.d
    2. B/proc/cpuinfo or /proc/stat
    3. C/var/log/lastlog and /var/log/wtmp
    4. D/usr/share/doc/cron/THANKS
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    System cron jobs are defined in /etc/crontab and drop-in files under /etc/cron.d, while per-user jobs live in spool directories. Documentation, login records, and CPU data do not define scheduled execution.

  2. Question 11

    Which three files should an investigator review when checking for unauthorized account or privilege changes on a Linux host? (Choose three.)

    1. A/etc/shadow
    2. B/etc/sudoers and /etc/sudoers.d
    3. C/usr/share/man/man1
    4. D/etc/issue
    5. E/etc/passwd
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B, E

    The account database, password hashes, and sudo policy directly control who exists and who can escalate privileges. Manual pages and the login banner do not govern accounts or privileges.

  3. Question 12

    In the /etc/shadow file, which field records the day of the most recent password change, expressed as a count of days since January 1, 1970?

    1. AThe first field, which holds the username
    2. BThe second field, which holds the plaintext password
    3. CThe seventh field, which holds the account expiry
    4. DThe third field
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    The third field of each shadow entry stores the last password change date as days since the Unix epoch. The first field is the username, the seventh is the expiry, and the second field contains a hash rather than plaintext.

OS fundamentals (2 questions)

  1. Question 13

    An analyst needs to list only the lines in /var/log/auth.log that begin with the text Failed password. Which command does this?

    1. Afind /var/log -name auth.log -exec cat {} +
    2. Bgrep 'Failed password$' /var/log/auth.log -v
    3. Cgrep '^Failed password' /var/log/auth.log
    4. Dsed -n '/Failed/p' /etc/passwd
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    The caret anchors the pattern to the start of each line, so grep returns only lines beginning with Failed password. The second command inverts the match, the third searches file names rather than contents, and the fourth reads the wrong file.

  2. Question 14

    During triage of an unfamiliar Linux host, the analyst needs the distribution name and version. Which file is the standard place to read this on systemd-based distributions?

    1. A/etc/hostname
    2. B/proc/kallsyms
    3. C/var/log/kern
    4. D/etc/os-release
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    /etc/os-release is the standard identification file that holds the distribution name and version fields. /proc/version reports the kernel build, which is a different fact.

Evidence collection and mounting (2 questions)

  1. Question 15

    Before imaging a compromised Linux server's disk, the responder mounts the device for a quick look. What is the best practice to protect the evidence?

    1. ACopy the contents to the device itself to free up space on the volume by creating a working directory on the suspect disk for logs
    2. BMount it read-write so the file system can replay its journal and repair itself first, using the default ext4 mount options during triage
    3. CRun fsck on the device to confirm its integrity before imaging so that the superblock and inode tables are verified against the journal
    4. DMount the device read-only, ideally through a write blocker, so that access timestamps and contents are not changed
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    A read-only mount or hardware write blocker prevents changes to the original media. Repair tools and writes to the source device alter evidence, which undermines its integrity.

  2. Question 16

    Which two steps help preserve the integrity of a disk image acquired from a Linux system? (Choose two.)

    1. ACalculate a SHA-256 hash of the source and the image and confirm they match
    2. BRecord the acquisition details, including the time, tool, and operator
    3. CInstall forensic utilities on the compromised host before imaging
    4. DRun a disk repair utility on the source before the hash is taken
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, B

    Matching cryptographic hashes and documented acquisition details establish that the image is an exact, attributable copy. Installing tools or repairing the source changes the evidence before it is captured.

Incident response triage (2 questions)

  1. Question 17

    A responder is planning triage on a live Linux host that may be under active attack. Under the order-of-volatility principle, which artifact should be collected first?

    1. AVolatile memory and running process state
    2. BStatic configuration files that are rarely changed
    3. CArchived log files from the previous year
    4. DThe installed software package list
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Volatile data such as memory and live process and network state disappears at reboot or over time, so it is captured first. Archived logs and static configuration persist and can be gathered later.

  2. Question 18

    A triage collection script copies logs and configuration files from a server to an analysis workstation and records a cryptographic hash of each file. Which two purposes does the hash serve? (Choose two.)

    1. ACompressing the files before they are transferred
    2. BEncrypting the files so that only the analyst can read them
    3. CShowing that the copy matches the original file byte for byte
    4. DAllowing later verification that the evidence was not altered in storage or transfer
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C, D

    A hash is a verifiable fingerprint that proves the copy equals the source and remains unchanged later. Hashing does not compress or encrypt the data.

Anti-forensics (2 questions)

  1. Question 19

    A file's modification time is set to a date two years in the past, but its change time shows a moment during the current incident window. Which explanation is most consistent with this evidence?

    1. AThe modification time was altered with a timestamp-setting command, while the inode change time records when that change happened
    2. BThe file system has been reformatted with a new clock, and mkfs rebuilt every inode, which restamped the times
    3. CThe file was restored from a backup that preserved its timestamps when the archive was extracted with tar -p on the replacement host, keeping mtime fields
    4. DThe file was created two years ago and was read recently because a backup daemon opened it during the window
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A

    Tools such as touch can set mtime and atime to arbitrary values, but ctime is updated by the kernel whenever the inode changes, so it exposes the manipulation. A plain read does not change mtime or ctime.

  2. Question 20

    An attacker wants to make a sensitive file unrecoverable with standard tools. Which utility overwrites the file's data blocks before removing it?

    1. Atouch
    2. Bchmod
    3. Cshred
    4. Dln -s
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    shred overwrites file contents with patterns before unlinking, which reduces recoverability on some media. touch changes timestamps, chmod changes permissions, and ln creates links, so none of them erase data.

Threat intelligence and incident response (2 questions)

  1. Question 21

    Which two sources supply structured indicators or technique mappings that an analyst can use to plan threat hunts? (Choose two.)

    1. AA monthly report of office seating assignments
    2. BMITRE ATT&CK technique descriptions
    3. CSTIX-formatted indicator feeds delivered through TAXII
    4. DA vendor's marketing brochure about printers
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B, C

    ATT&CK maps adversary behaviors to observable evidence, and STIX/TAXII delivers machine-readable indicators. The other two items carry no hunting value.

  2. Question 22

    In an incident playbook, what is the main purpose of the containment phase?

    1. APermanently deleting the attacker's files as soon as they are found
    2. BNotifying the public before the scope of the incident is known
    3. CLimiting the attacker's access and spread while preserving evidence for analysis
    4. DRebuilding the entire network before the evidence is collected from clean images
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    Containment stops further damage and lateral movement while keeping evidence intact for investigation. Deleting artifacts too early and rebuilding before collection both destroy evidence.

OS file system structure (2 questions)

  1. Question 23

    An investigator wants to see the block and character device nodes that the kernel has exposed to user space on a compromised host. Which directory should be inspected?

    1. A/lib
    2. B/etc/modules
    3. C/var/cache
    4. D/dev
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    /dev holds device nodes that give user space access to kernel-managed hardware and virtual devices. /lib contains shared libraries, and the other directories hold configuration or cache data.

  2. Question 24

    An analyst wants to inspect the command line and executable path of a suspicious running process with PID 4312 without relying on ps output. Which location provides this directly?

    1. A/sys/block/4312/queue/wbt_lat_usec
    2. B/proc/4312/cmdline and /proc/4312/exe
    3. C/var/run/apache2/instance/4312.pid
    4. D/etc/init.d/rsyslog-daemon-4312
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    The /proc filesystem exposes each process's command line and executable link as virtual files. The other paths do not describe running processes.

File system fundamentals (2 questions)

  1. Question 25

    An analyst has a disk image and wants to list files and directories, including names of deleted entries, in a directory inode. Which Sleuth Kit tool does this?

    1. Ablkcalc
    2. Bfls
    3. Cmmls
    4. Dfsstat
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: B

    fls lists file names and entries in a directory, including deleted ones when the flag is used. mmls shows partition layout, fsstat reports file system metadata, and blkcalc maps block addresses.

  2. Question 26

    A responder has the inode number of a suspicious file on an ext4 image and needs its metadata, including timestamps, size, and block pointers. Which Sleuth Kit command shows this information?

    1. Aicat
    2. Bsorter
    3. Cmactime
    4. Distat
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: D

    istat displays the metadata stored in an inode, such as times, size, and data block addresses. icat outputs file content, mactime builds timelines, and sorter groups files by type.

Timeline analysis (2 questions)

  1. Question 27

    Which two artifacts together show that a new persistence mechanism was installed on a systemd host? (Choose two.)

    1. AA new entry in /etc/cron.d that runs a script from a temporary directory
    2. BA changed modification time on a documentation file under /usr/share/doc
    3. CA rotated copy of the web server access log
    4. DA new unit file under /etc/systemd/system together with an enable symlink in a target wants directory
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: A, D

    A new unit and its enable symlink, or a new cron entry pointing to a temporary script, are both persistence artifacts. Documentation and rotated logs do not establish a persistence mechanism.

  2. Question 28

    An analyst has created a body file from file system metadata and wants a sorted, human-readable timeline of file activity. Which Sleuth Kit tool produces this output?

    1. Asigfind
    2. Bfsstat
    3. Cmactime
    4. Dhfind
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    mactime reads a body file and produces a chronological timeline of MAC times. The other tools report file system details, search for file signatures, or check hash sets.

OS event log introduction (2 questions)

  1. Question 29

    A responder needs the list of failed login attempts recorded in /var/log/btmp on a Linux host. Which command reads that file?

    1. Auptime
    2. Bwho -u
    3. Clastb
    4. Dlast -x
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    lastb reads the btmp file, which stores failed login attempts. last reads wtmp for successful sessions, and uptime and who report current state rather than historical failures.

  2. Question 30

    A responder wants to review kernel messages generated during the most recent boot on a classic Linux system. Which command displays the kernel ring buffer?

    1. Ass -tupan
    2. Blastlog
    3. Cdmesg
    4. Dcrontab -l
    Show answer and explanation
    Correct answer: C

    dmesg prints the kernel ring buffer, which contains hardware detection and driver messages from boot. lastlog reports login times, crontab lists scheduled jobs, and ss lists sockets.