The SUSE operating system SSH daemon public host key files must have mode 0644 or less permissive.
Overview
| Finding ID | Version | Rule ID | IA Controls | Severity |
| V-235008 | SLES-15-040240 | SV-235008r991589_rule | Medium |
| Description |
| If a public host key file is modified by an unauthorized user, the SSH service may be compromised. |
| STIG | Date |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 Security Technical Implementation Guide | 2025-05-14 |
Details
| Check Text (C-38196r619293_chk) |
| Verify the SUSE operating system SSH daemon public host key files have mode "0644" or less permissive. Note: SSH public key files may be found in other directories on the system depending on the installation. The following command will find all SSH public key files on the system: > find /etc/ssh -name 'ssh_host*key.pub' -exec stat -c "%a %n" {} \; 644 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key.pub 644 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub 644 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key.pub 644 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub If any file has a mode more permissive than "0644", this is a finding. |
| Fix Text (F-38159r619294_fix) |
| Configure the SUSE operating system SSH daemon public host key files have mode "0644" or less permissive. Note: SSH public key files may be found in other directories on the system depending on the installation. Change the mode of public host key files under "/etc/ssh" to "0644" with the following command: > sudo chmod 0644 /etc/ssh/ssh_host*key.pub |