RHEL 9 /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.
An XCCDF Rule
Description
<VulnDiscussion>If the "/etc/passwd" file is writable by a group-owner or the world the risk of its compromise is increased. The file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information, and protection of this file is critical for system security.</VulnDiscussion><FalsePositives></FalsePositives><FalseNegatives></FalseNegatives><Documentable>false</Documentable><Mitigations></Mitigations><SeverityOverrideGuidance></SeverityOverrideGuidance><PotentialImpacts></PotentialImpacts><ThirdPartyTools></ThirdPartyTools><MitigationControl></MitigationControl><Responsibility></Responsibility><IAControls></IAControls>
- ID
- SV-257895r925672_rule
- Severity
- Medium
- References
- Updated
Remediation - Manual Procedure
Change the mode of the file "/etc/passwd" to "0644" by running the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd