Verify Permissions on crontab

An XCCDF Rule

Description

To properly set the permissions of /etc/crontab, run the command:

$ sudo chmod 0600 /etc/crontab

Rationale

Service configuration files enable or disable features of their respective services that if configured incorrectly can lead to insecure and vulnerable configurations. Therefore, service configuration files should have the correct access rights to prevent unauthorized changes.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_file_permissions_crontab
Severity: Medium
References: 12 13 14 15 16 18 3 5

APO01.06 DSS05.04 DSS05.07 DSS06.02

4.3.3.7.3

SR 2.1 SR 5.2

A.10.1.1 A.11.1.4 A.11.1.5 A.11.2.1 A.13.1.1 A.13.1.3 A.13.2.1 A.13.2.3 A.13.2.4 A.14.1.2 A.14.1.3 A.6.1.2 A.7.1.1 A.7.1.2 A.7.3.1 A.8.2.2 A.8.2.3 A.9.1.1 A.9.1.2 A.9.2.3 A.9.4.1 A.9.4.4 A.9.4.5

AC-6(1) CM-6(a)

PR.AC-4 PR.DS-5

2.2.6

SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

5.1.2

CCE-91299-8
Updated: about 1 year ago

- name: Test for existence /etc/crontab
  stat:
    path: /etc/crontab
  register: file_exists
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:  - CCE-91299-8
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Ensure permission u-xs,g-xwrs,o-xwrt on /etc/crontab
  file:
    path: /etc/crontab
    mode: u-xs,g-xwrs,o-xwrt
  when:
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - file_exists.stat is defined and file_exists.stat.exists
  tags:
  - CCE-91299-8
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_permissions_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ]; then

chmod u-xs,g-xwrs,o-xwrt /etc/crontab

else    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi

Verify Permissions on crontab

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Ansible

Remediation - Shell Script