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The /etc/shells file must exist on AIX systems.

Overview

Finding IDVersionRule IDIA ControlsSeverity
V-215408AIX7-00-003110SV-215408r991589_ruleCCI-000366medium
Description
The shells file (or equivalent) lists approved default shells. It helps provide layered defense to the security approach by ensuring users cannot change their default shell to an unauthorized unsecure shell.
STIGDate
IBM AIX 7.x Security Technical Implementation Guide2026-06-15

Related Frameworks

1 mapping across 5 frameworks
SCF0 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (8) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

CFG-01Configuration Management Program
1.00
END-01Endpoint Device Management (EDM)
1.00
END-04Malicious Code Protection (Anti-Malware)
1.00
END-06Endpoint File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
MON-01Continuous Monitoring
1.00
MON-01.7File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
1.00
CFG-02Secure Baseline Configurations
0.50
CFG-02.7Approved Configuration Deviations
0.50
NIST 800-530 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 2 hops (100) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

AC-12Session Termination
1.00
AC-16(1)Dynamic Attribute Association
1.00
AC-17(1)Monitoring and Control
1.00
AC-2Account Management
1.00
AC-2(1)Automated System Account Management
1.00
AC-2(11)Usage Conditions
1.00
AC-2(3)Disable Accounts
1.00
AC-2(4)Automated Audit Actions
1.00
AC-24(1)Transmit Access Authorization Information
1.00
AC-25Reference Monitor
1.00

+90 more (top 10 by confidence shown)

NIST 800-1710 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (2) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

3.4.1
1.00
3.4.2
1.00
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000366
1.00
NIST CSF 2.00 mappings

No source states a mapping between these directly.

Also reachable in 3 hops (5) derived by us, not asserted by any source

Each of these is a route we composed by chaining published mappings. No publisher states a relationship between the two endpoints.

DE.CM-09
1.00
PR.PS-01
1.00
PR.DS-10
0.50
PR.PSPlatform Security
0.50
PR.PS-05
0.50

Who does this work

10 NICE work roles and 9 EC-Council certifications.

This is an inference across published mappings, not a single claim by anyone. This check maps to a control, which maps to a Cybersecurity Framework outcome, which NIST assigns to the work roles below. EC-Council separately maps its certifications to those same roles.

A certification prepares someone for a role. It is not evidence that a holder is qualified, and neither NIST nor EC-Council has stated that any certification here addresses this check.

Work-role assignments published by NIST (NICE Framework Components 2.2.0 and the CSF 2.0 OLIR crosswalk). Certification mappings published by EC-Council.

Details

Check Text (C-215408r991589_chk)

AIX ships the following shells that should be considered as "approved" shells: /bin/sh /bin/bsh /bin/csh /bin/ksh /bin/tsh /bin/ksh93 /usr/bin/sh /usr/bin/bsh /usr/bin/csh /usr/bin/ksh /usr/bin/tsh /usr/bin/ksh93 /usr/bin/rksh /usr/bin/rksh93 /usr/sbin/uucp/uucico /usr/sbin/sliplogin /usr/sbin/snappd ISSO/SA may install other shells. Ask ISSO/SA for other approved shells other than the shells shipped by AIX. Check if file "/etc/shells" exists by running: # ls -la /etc/shells rw-r--r-- 1 bin bin 111 Jun 01 2015 /etc/shells If "/etc/shells" file does not exist, this is a finding. Verify that "/etc/shells" only contains approved shells: # cat /etc/shells /bin/csh /bin/ksh /bin/psh /bin/tsh /bin/bsh /usr/bin/csh /usr/bin/ksh /usr/bin/tsh /usr/bin/bsh If "/etc/shells" file contains a non-approved shell, this is a finding. Check "/etc/security/login.cfg" for the shells attribute value of "usw:" stanza: # lssec -f /etc/security/login.cfg -s usw -a shells usw shells=/bin/sh,/bin/bsh,/bin/csh,/bin/ksh,/bin/tsh,/bin/ksh93,/usr/bin/sh,/usr/bin/bsh,/usr/bin/csh,/usr/bin/ksh,/usr/bin/tsh,/usr/bin/ksh93,/usr/bin/rksh,/usr/bin/rksh93,/usr/sbin/uucp/uucico,/usr/sbin/sliplogin,/usr/sbin/snappd If the shells attribute value does not exist or is empty, this is a finding. If the returned shells attribute value contains a shell that is not defined in "/etc/shells" file, this is a finding. If the returned shells attribute value contains a non-approved shell, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-16604r294676_fix)

Run the following command to set shells attribute for stanza usw in "/etc/security/login.cfg": # chsec -f /etc/security/login.cfg -s usw -a shells=<list of approved shells separated by comma> Create the "/etc/shells" file and add all approved shells there, one shell per line: # vi /etc/shells Change the ownership and mode-bit of "/etc/shells": # chown bin.bin /etc/shells # chmod 644 /etc/shells