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The /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-38457 RHEL-06-000041 SV-50257r1_rule Medium
Description
If the "/etc/passwd" file is writable by a group-owner or the world the risk of its compromise is increased. The file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information, and protection of this file is critical for system security.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2018-03-01

Details

Check Text ( C-46007r1_chk )
To check the permissions of "/etc/passwd", run the command:

$ ls -l /etc/passwd

If properly configured, the output should indicate the following permissions: "-rw-r--r--"
If it does not, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-43397r1_fix)
To properly set the permissions of "/etc/passwd", run the command:

# chmod 0644 /etc/passwd