{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "faillock",
    "section": "8",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/faillock/8/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-02T23:33:15Z",
    "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": "--dir /path/to/tally-directory\nThe directory where the user files with the failure records are kept. The default is\n/var/run/faillock.\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\n\n\nLinux-PAM Manual                             06/08/2020                                  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"
        }
    ],
    "tldr": {
        "source": "official",
        "description": "Display and modify authentication failure record files.",
        "examples": [
            {
                "description": "List login failures of the current user",
                "command": "faillock"
            },
            {
                "description": "Reset the failure records of the current user",
                "command": "faillock --reset"
            },
            {
                "description": "List login failures of all users",
                "command": "sudo faillock"
            },
            {
                "description": "List login failures of the specified user",
                "command": "sudo faillock --user {{user}}"
            },
            {
                "description": "Reset the failure records of the specified user",
                "command": "sudo faillock --user {{user}} --reset"
            }
        ]
    }
}