Title

The /etc/shadow (or equivalent) file must be owned by root. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

The /etc/shadow file contains the list of local system accounts. It is vital to system security and must be protected from unauthorized modification. Failure to give ownership of sensitive files or utilities to root provides the designated owner and unauthorized users with the potential to access sensitive information or change the system configuration which could weaken the system's security posture.

Check Content

Check the ownership of the /etc/shadow file. # ls -lL /etc/shadow If the /etc/shadow file is not owned by root, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Change the ownership of the /etc/shadow file. # chown root /etc/shadow

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-227648r854478_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-227648

Group Title: SRG-OS-000312

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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