AlmaLinux OS 9 /etc/passwd- file must have mode 0644 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-269222 | ALMA-09-016190 | SV-269222r1050104_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/passwd-" file is a backup file of "/etc/passwd", and as such, contains information about the users that are configured on the system. Protection of this file is critical for system security. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| CloudLinux AlmaLinux OS 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-22 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-269222r1050104_chk)
Verify that the "/etc/passwd-" file has mode "0644" or less permissive with the following command:
$ stat -c "%#a %n" /etc/passwd-
0644 /etc/passwd-
If a value of "0644" or less permissive is not returned, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-73154r1048043_fix)
Change the mode of the file "/etc/passwd-" to "0644" by running the following command:
$ chmod 0644 /etc/passwd-