cyberstrikeus 12.3 Verify Permissions on /etc/group (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1
Description
The /etc/group file contains a list of all the valid groups defined in the system. The command below allows read/write access for root and read access for everyone else.
Rationale
The /etc/group file needs to be protected from unauthorized changes by non-privileged users, but needs to be readable as this information is used with many non-privileged programs.
Audit Procedure
Using Command Line
Run the following command to determine the permissions on the /etc/group file:
/bin/ls -l /etc/group
Expected Result
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root <size> <date> /etc/group
Permissions should be 644 or more restrictive.
Remediation
Using Command Line
If the permissions of the /etc/group file are incorrect, run the following command to correct them:
/bin/chmod 644 /etc/group
Default Value
644
References
- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
Profile
Level 1 - Scored