RHEL 10 must enforce mode "0644" or less permissive for "/etc/passwd-" file to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-281071 | RHEL-10-400270 | SV-281071r1165568_rule | CCI-000213 | 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 | |||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-03-11 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-281071r1165568_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-85537r1165567_fix)
Configure RHEL 10 so that the mode of the "/etc/passwd-" file is set to "0644" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd-