AlmaLinux OS 9 /etc/gshadow file must have mode 0000 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-269205	ALMA-09-014210	SV-269205r1050087_rule		Medium

Description

The "/etc/gshadow" file contains group password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

STIG	Date
CloudLinux AlmaLinux OS 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2025-05-22

Details

Check Text (C-73236r1047991_chk)

Verify that the "/etc/gshadow" file has mode "0000" with the following command:

$ stat -c "%a %n" /etc/gshadow

0 /etc/gshadow

If a value of "0" is not returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-73137r1047992_fix)

Change the mode of the file "/etc/gshadow" to "0000" by running the following command:

$ chmod 0000 /etc/gshadow