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


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-38503 RHEL-06-000034 SV-50304r1_rule Medium
Description
The "/etc/shadow" file stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.
STIG Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide 2015-05-26

Details

Check Text ( C-46060r1_chk )
To check the group ownership of "/etc/shadow", run the command:

$ ls -l /etc/shadow

If properly configured, the output should indicate the following group-owner. "root"
If it does not, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-43450r1_fix)
To properly set the group owner of "/etc/shadow", run the command:

# chgrp root /etc/shadow