AlmaLinux OS 9 /etc/passwd file must be owned by root.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-269224 | ALMA-09-016410 | SV-269224r1050106_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/passwd" file 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-269224r1050106_chk)
Verify the ownership of the "/etc/passwd" file with the following command:
$ stat -c "%U %n" /etc/passwd
root /etc/passwd
If "/etc/passwd" file does not have an owner of "root", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-73156r1048049_fix)
Change the owner of the file /etc/passwd to root by running the following command:
$ chown root /etc/passwd