6.1.6 Ensure permissions on /etc/passwd- are configured (Scored)
Profile Applicability
Level 1 - Server Level 1 - Workstation
Description
The /etc/passwd- file contains backup user account information.
Rationale
It is critical to ensure that the /etc/passwd- 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/passwd- Access: (0600/-rw-------) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Remediation
Run the following command to set permissions on /etc/passwd-:
# chown root:root /etc/passwd- # chmod 600 /etc/passwd-