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The /etc/shadow file must be owned by root.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-38502 RHEL-06-000033 SV-50303r1_rule Medium
Description
The "/etc/shadow" file contains the list of local system accounts and stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. Failure to give ownership of this file to root provides the designated owner with access to sensitive information which could weaken the system security posture.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2015-05-26

Details

Check Text ( C-46059r1_chk )
To check the ownership of "/etc/shadow", run the command:

$ ls -l /etc/shadow

If properly configured, the output should indicate the following owner: "root"
If it does not, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-43449r1_fix)
To properly set the owner of "/etc/shadow", run the command:

# chown root /etc/shadow