The TOSS 5 /etc/shadow file must be group-owned by root.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-282664 | TOSS-05-000168 | SV-282664r1200972_rule | CCI-000366 | medium |
| Description | ||||
| The "/etc/shadow" file stores password hashes. 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-282664r1200972_chk)
Verify the group ownership of the "/etc/shadow" file using the following command:
$ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /etc/shadow
root /etc/shadow
If "/etc/shadow" file does not have a group owner of "root", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-87130r1200971_fix)
Change the group of the file /etc/shadow to root using the following command:
$ sudo chgrp root /etc/shadow