{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "faillock",
    "section": "8",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/faillock/8/json",
    "generated": "2026-10-08T07:45:23Z",
    "synopsis": "faillock [--dir /path/to/tally-directory] [--user username] [--reset]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "faillock - Tool for displaying and modifying the authentication failure record files\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "faillock [--dir /path/to/tally-directory] [--user username] [--reset]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "The pamfaillock.so module maintains a list of failed authentication attempts per user during\na specified interval and locks the account in case there were more than deny consecutive\nfailed authentications. It stores the failure records into per-user files in the tally\ndirectory.\n\nThe faillock command is an application which can be used to examine and modify the contents\nof the tally files. It can display the recent failed authentication attempts of the username\nor clear the tally files of all or individual usernames.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "--conf /path/to/config-file\nThe file where the configuration is located. The default is /etc/security/faillock.conf.\n\n--dir /path/to/tally-directory\nThe directory where the user files with the failure records are kept.\n\nThe priority to set this option is to use the value provided from the command line. If\nthis isn't provided, then the value from the configuration file is used. Finally, if\nneither of them has been provided, then /var/run/faillock is used.\n\n--user username\nThe user whose failure records should be displayed or cleared.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "--reset",
                    "content": "Instead of displaying the user's failure records, clear them.\n",
                    "long": "--reset"
                }
            ]
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "/var/run/faillock/*\nthe files logging the authentication failures for users\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "pamfaillock(8), pam(8)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "faillock was written by Tomas Mraz.\n\nLinux-PAM                                    05/07/2023                                  FAILLOCK(8)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "faillock - Tool for displaying and modifying the authentication failure record files",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "",
            "long": "--reset",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Instead of displaying the user's failure records, clear them."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "pamfaillock",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pamfaillock/8/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pam",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam/8/json"
        }
    ]
}