cyberstrikeus 7.4.3 Verify Permissions on /etc/hosts.allow (Scored)
Profile Applicability
- Level 1
Description
The /etc/hosts.allow file contains networking information that is used by many applications and therefore must be readable for these applications to operate.
Rationale
It is critical to ensure that the /etc/hosts.allow 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
Using Command Line
Run the following command to determine the permissions on the /etc/hosts.allow file.
/bin/ls -l /etc/hosts.allow
Expected Result
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2055 Jan 30 16:30 /etc/hosts.allow
Remediation
Using Command Line
If the permissions of the /etc/hosts.allow file are incorrect, run the following command to correct them:
/bin/chmod 644 /etc/hosts.allow
Default Value
Permissions are 644 by default.
References
- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
Profile
Level 1 - Scored