RHEL 9 /etc/shadow- file must have mode 0000 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-257897 | RHEL-09-232085 | SV-257897r991589_rule | CCI-000366 | 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 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-14 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-257897r991589_chk)
Verify 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-61562r925677_fix)
Change the mode of the file "/etc/shadow-" to "0000" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow-