# Cis Ubuntu1204 V110 13 19

> Check for Presence of User .netrc Files

- Skill: `cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-19` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-19`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-19/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: cyberstrikeus (https://skillmd.com/u/cyberstrikeus)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-19

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# 13.19 Check for Presence of User .netrc Files (Scored)

## Profile Applicability

- Level 1

## Description

The `.netrc` file contains data for logging into a remote host for file transfers via FTP.

## Rationale

The `.netrc` file presents a significant security risk since it stores passwords in unencrypted form. Even if FTP is disabled, user accounts may have brought over `.netrc` files from other systems which could pose a risk to those systems.

## Audit Procedure

### Using Command Line

```bash
#!/bin/bash
for dir in `/bin/cat /etc/passwd |\
/usr/bin/awk -F: '{ print $6 }'`; do
    if [ ! -h "$dir/.netrc" -a -f "$dir/.netrc" ]; then
echo ".netrc file $dir/.netrc exists"
    fi
done
```

## Expected Result

No output should be returned. Any output indicates the presence of `.netrc` files in user home directories.

## Remediation

### Using Command Line

Making global modifications to users' files without alerting the user community can result in unexpected outages and unhappy users. Therefore, it is recommended that a monitoring policy be established to report user `.netrc` files and determine the action to be taken in accordance with site policy.

## Default Value

No `.netrc` files exist by default on Ubuntu 12.04.

## References

- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0

## Profile

Level 1 - Scored