AlmaLinux OS 9 /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-269225	ALMA-09-016520	SV-269225r1050107_rule		Medium

Description

If the "/etc/passwd" file is writable by a group-owner or the world the risk of its compromise is increased. The file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information, and 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-73256r1048051_chk)

Verify that the "/etc/passwd" file has mode "0644" or less permissive with the following command:

$ stat -c "%#a %n" /etc/passwd

0644 /etc/passwd

If a value of "0644" or less permissive is not returned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-73157r1048052_fix)

Change the mode of the file "/etc/passwd" to "0644" by running the following command:

$ chmod 0644 /etc/passwd