RHEL 10 must enforce mode "0000" or less permissive for "/etc/shadow-" file to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-281072 | RHEL-10-400275 | SV-281072r1165571_rule | CCI-000213 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/shadow-" file is a backup file of "/etc/shadow", and as such contains the list of local system accounts and password hashes. 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-281072r1165571_chk)
Verify RHEL 10 is configured so that the "/etc/shadow-" file has mode "0000" with the following command:
$ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /etc/shadow-
0 /etc/shadow-
If a value of "0" is not returned, this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-85538r1165570_fix)
Configure RHEL 10 so that the mode of the "/etc/shadow-" file is set to "0000" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow-