# Cis Ubuntu1204 V110 13 20

> Check for Presence of User .forward Files

- Skill: `cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-20` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-20`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cyberstrikeus/cis-ubuntu1204-v110-13-20/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- 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-v110-13-20

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# 13.20 Check for Presence of User .forward Files (Scored)

## Profile Applicability

- Level 1

## Description

The `.forward` file specifies an email address to forward the user's mail to.

## Rationale

Use of the `.forward` file poses a security risk in that sensitive data may be inadvertently transferred outside the organization. The `.forward` file also poses a risk as it can be used to execute commands that may perform unintended actions.

## Audit Procedure

### Using Command Line

This script checks for the presence of `.forward` files that may be in violation of the site security policy.

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

## Expected Result

No output should be returned. Any output indicates the presence of `.forward` 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 `.forward` files and determine the action to be taken in accordance with site policy.

## Default Value

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

## References

- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0

## Profile

Level 1 - Scored