OL 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-271810 | OL09-00-002548 | SV-271810r1092142_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| If the "/etc/passwd" file is writable by a group-owner or the world the risk of its compromise is increased. The file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information, and protection of this file is critical for system security. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Oracle Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-08 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-271810r1092142_chk)
Verify that OL 9 configures the "/etc/passwd" file to have a mode of "0644" or less permissive with the following command:
$ stat -c "%a %n" /etc/passwd
644 /etc/passwd
If a value of "0644" or less permissive is not returned, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-75767r1092141_fix)
Change the mode of the file "/etc/passwd" to "0644" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd