Title

The /var/adm/userdb/USERDB.DISABLED file must be owned by root. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Unless the userdb is required, the /var/adm/userdb/USERDB.DISABLED file must be created to disable the use of per-user security attributes in the user database. Attributes in the user database override the system-wide settings configured in /etc/default/security. If the system-wide configuration is overridden maliciously, users may gain unauthorized system access.

Check Content

If the system is configured for Trusted Mode, this check is not applicable. For SMSE: If the userdb is required, this check is not applicable. Verify the file is owned by root. # ls -lL /var/adm/userdb/USERDB.DISABLED If the file is not owned by root, this is a finding.

Fix Text

If the system is operating in Trusted Mode, no fix is required. For SMSE: As root, change the file ownership. # chown root /var/adm/userdb/USERDB.DISABLED

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-52438r1_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-40451

Group Title: GEN000000-HPUX0280

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

Controls tied to check. These are derived from the CCIs shown above.