The TOSS 5 /etc/passwd- file must have mode 0644 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-282649 | TOSS-05-000153 | SV-282649r1200927_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/passwd-" file is a backup file of "/etc/passwd" and contains information about the users configured on the system. Protecting this file is critical for system security. | ||||
| STIG | Date | |||
| Tri-Lab Operating System Stack (TOSS) 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2026-04-01 | |||
Details
Check Text (C-282649r1200927_chk)
Verify the "/etc/passwd-" file has mode "0644" or less permissive using 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-87115r1200926_fix)
Change the mode of the file "/etc/passwd-" to "0644" using the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd-