Navigate

Check: RHEL-09-232270

RHEL 9 STIG: RHEL-09-232270 (in versions v1 r3 through v1 r1)

Title

RHEL 9 /etc/shadow file must have mode 0000 to prevent unauthorized access. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

The "/etc/shadow" file contains the list of local system accounts and stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. Failure to give ownership of this file to root provides the designated owner with access to sensitive information, which could weaken the system security posture.

Check Content

Verify that the "/etc/shadow" file has mode "0000" with the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /etc/shadow 0 /etc/shadow If a value of "0" is not returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Change the mode of the file "/etc/shadow" to "0000" by running the following command: $ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-257934r925789_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-257934

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

Expert Comments

Expert comments are only available to logged-in users.

CCIs

CCIs tied to check.

Number	Definition
CCI-000366	The organization implements the security configuration settings.

Controls

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

Number	Title
CM-6	Configuration Settings