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Check: GEN001380 M6

MACOSX 10.6: GEN001380 M6 (in version v1 r3)

Title

The /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

If the password file is writable by a group owner or the world, the risk of password file compromise is increased. The password file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information.

Check Content

Open a terminal session and enter the following command to verify the permissions on the password file. ls -Ll /etc/passwd If the permissions are not set to 644, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Open a terminal session and enter the following command to set the permissions for the password file. chmod 644 /etc/passwd

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-37990r1_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-798

Group Title:

Expert Comments

Expert comments are only available to logged-in users.

CCIs

CCIs tied to check.

Number	Definition
CCI-000225	The organization employs the concept of least privilege, allowing only authorized accesses for users (and processes acting on behalf of users) which are necessary to accomplish assigned tasks in accordance with organizational missions and business functions.

Controls

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

Number	Title
AC-6	Least Privilege