cyberstrikeus 3.4.5 Ensure permissions on /etc/hosts.deny are configured (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
The /etc/hosts.deny file contains network information that is used by many system applications and therefore must be readable for these applications to operate.
Rationale
It is critical to ensure that the /etc/hosts.deny file is protected from unauthorized write access. Although it is protected by default, the file permissions could be changed either inadvertently or through malicious actions.
Audit Procedure
Run the following command and verify Uid and Gid are both 0/root and Access is 644:
stat /etc/hosts.deny
# Expected: Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Expected Result
Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
Remediation
Run the following commands to set permissions on /etc/hosts.deny:
chown root:root /etc/hosts.deny
chmod 644 /etc/hosts.deny
Default Value
Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)
References
- CIS Controls: 5.1 - Minimize And Sparingly Use Administrative Privileges
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation