OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-271758	OL09-00-002420	SV-271758r1091986_rule		High

Description

The .shosts files are used to configure host-based authentication for individual users or the system via SSH. Host-based authentication is not sufficient for preventing unauthorized access to the system, as it does not require interactive identification and authentication of a connection request, or for the use of two-factor authentication.

STIG	Date
Oracle Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2025-05-08

Details

Check Text (C-75808r1091984_chk)

Verify that OL 9 has no ".shosts" files on the system with the following command:

$ sudo find / -name .shosts

If a ".shosts" file is found, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-75715r1091985_fix)

Remove any found ".shosts" files from the system.

$ sudo rm /[path]/[to]/[file]/.shosts