RHEL 10 must enforce mode "0644" or less permissive for the "/etc/passwd" file to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-281070 | RHEL-10-400265 | SV-281070r1165565_rule | CCI-000213 | 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 | |||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-03-11 | |||
Related Frameworks
4 paths across 3 frameworks
Related Frameworks
NIST 800-531 mapping
AC-3
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
- DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
NIST 800-1712 mappings
3.1.1
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
- DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
- NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
3.1.2
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
- DISA · 2025-01-23 · disa_cci_list · equivalent
- NIST · Rev 2 (Feb 2020, errata Jan 2021) · nist_800_171_app_d · equivalent
CCI1 mapping
CCI-000213
1.00
- DISA · V1R1 · disa_xccdf · related
Details
Check Text (C-281070r1165565_chk)
Verify RHEL 10 is configured so that the "/etc/passwd" file has mode "0644" or less permissive with the following command:
$ sudo 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-85536r1165564_fix)
Configure RHEL 10 so that the mode of the file "/etc/passwd" is set to "0644" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd