Quote:
/etc/passwd is the command interpreter which is
supposed to be run when a user logs in. and i believe that if a wrong password is entered then it is supposed to have /bin/false in the last field.
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This isn't quite how it works. The /etc/passwd file isn't a command interpreter, it's just a plain text file in UNIX, although a very important one. The
login command checks the file (and possibly /etc/shadow, or /etc/security/passwd) to verify that the username and password entered are correct. It also looks at the home directory and the shell. If you enter the correct userid & password, it will drop you into your home directory and execute the shell listed in the passwd file. If you enter an incorrect password, /bin/false is not executed, but the program "login" will itself deny access to the system.