Title

The /etc/pam_user.conf file must be group-owned by sys. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

The /etc/pam_user.conf file is the per user configuration file for the Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM) architecture. It supports per user authentication, account, session, and password management. If the configuration is modified maliciously, users may gain unauthorized system access. The /etc/pam_user.conf file must not be configured unless it is required.

Check Content

If the system is configured for Trusted Mode, this check is not applicable. For SMSE: Verify the file is group-owned by sys. # ls -lL /etc/pam_user.conf If the file is not group-owned by sys, 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 group ownership. # chgrp sys /etc/pam_user.conf

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-52474r1_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-40485

Group Title: GEN000000-HPUX0420

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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