RHEL 9 /etc/passwd file must be group-owned by root.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-257907 | RHEL-09-232135 | SV-257907r991589_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/passwd" file 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 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-14 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-257907r991589_chk)
Verify the group ownership of the "/etc/passwd" file with the following command:
$ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /etc/passwd
root /etc/passwd
If "/etc/passwd" file does not have a group owner of "root", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-61572r925707_fix)
Change the group of the file /etc/passwd to root by running the following command:
$ sudo chgrp root /etc/passwd