Title

The /etc/group file must not contain any group password hashes. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Group passwords are typically shared and should not be used. Additionally, if password hashes are readable by non-administrators, the passwords are subject to attack through lookup tables or cryptographic weaknesses in the hashes.

Check Content

Check the /etc/group file for password hashes. Procedure: # cut -d : -f 2 /etc/group | egrep -v '^(x|!)$' If any password hashes are returned, this is a finding. If no password hashes are returned, there is no finding.

Fix Text

Edit /etc/group and change the password field to an exclamation point (!) to lock the group password.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-227655r603266_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-227655

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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