1.7.1.4 Ensure permissions on /etc/motd are configured (Not Scored)
Profile Applicability
Level 1 - Server Level 1 - Workstation
Description
The contents of the /etc/motd file are displayed to users after login and function as a message of the day for authenticated users.
Rationale
If the /etc/motd file does not have the correct ownership it could be modified by unauthorized users with incorrect or misleading information.
Audit
Run the following command and verify Uid and Gid are both 0/root and Access is 644:
# stat /etc/motd Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Remediation
Run the following commands to set permissions on /etc/motd:
# chown root:root /etc/motd # chmod 644 /etc/motd