Level 1 - Server Level 1 - Workstation
The /etc/shadow- file is used to store backup information about user accounts that is critical to the security of those accounts, such as the hashed password and other security information.
It is critical to ensure that the /etc/shadow- file is protected from unauthorized access. Although it is protected by default, the file permissions could be changed either inadvertently or through malicious actions.
Run the following command and verify Uid and Gid are both 0/root and Access is 600:
# stat /etc/shadow- Access: (0600/-rw-------) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Run the following command to set permissions on /etc/shadow-:
# chown root:root /etc/shadow- # chmod 600 /etc/shadow-