6.1.7 Ensure permissions on /etc/shadow- are configured (Scored)
Profile Applicability
Level 1 - Server Level 1 - Workstation
Description
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.
Rationale
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.
Audit
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)
Remediation
Run the following command to set permissions on /etc/shadow-
:
# chown root:root /etc/shadow- # chmod 600 /etc/shadow-