OL 9 /etc/shadow file must have mode 0000 to prevent unauthorized access.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-271817	OL09-00-002555	SV-271817r1092163_rule		Medium

Description

The "/etc/shadow" file contains the list of local system accounts and stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. Failure to give ownership of this file to root provides the designated owner with access to sensitive information, which could weaken the system security posture.

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

Details

Check Text (C-75867r1092161_chk)

Verify that OL 9 configures the "/etc/shadow" file to have a mode of "0000" with the following command:

$ stat -c "%a %n" /etc/shadow
0 /etc/shadow

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

Fix Text (F-75774r1092162_fix)

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

$ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow