Ensure access to at is configured
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
at is a command-line utility used to schedule a job for later execution
Note: if at is not installed on the system, this section can be skipped
Audit
Verify /etc/at.allow:
Command Line
- Exists
- Is mode 0640 or more restrictive
- Is owned by the user root
- Is group owned by the group root - OR - the group daemon
# stat -Lc 'Access: (%a/%A) Owner: (%U) Group: (%G)' /etc/at.allow
Verify the returned value is:
Access: (640/-rw-r-----) Owner: (root) Group: (root)
- OR -
Access: (640/-rw-r-----) Owner: (root) Group: (daemon)
Run the following command to verify either at.deny doesn't exist or is:
- Mode 0640 or more restrictive
- Owned by the user root
- Is group owned by the group root - OR - the group daemon
# [ -e "/etc/at.deny" ] && stat -Lc 'Access: (%a/%A) Owner: (%U) Group: (%G)' /etc/at.deny
Verify either nothing is returned - OR - returned value is one of the following:
Access: (640/-rw-r-----) Owner: (root) Group: (root)
- OR -
Access: (640/-rw-r-----) Owner: (root) Group: (daemon)
Note: On systems where at is configured to use the group daemon, if the group daemon is not set as the owner of at.allow, then at will deny access to all users and you will see an error similar to:
You (<USERNAME>) are not allowed to use this program (at)
See at(1) for more information
Remediation
Run the following script to:
Command Line
- Create /etc/at.allow if it doesn't exist
- Change owner to user root
- Change group owner to group root - OR - group daemon if it exists
- Change mode to 640 or more restrictive
#!/usr/bin/env bash
{
[ ! -e "/etc/at.deny" ] && touch /etc/at.allow
chmod u=rw,g=wx,o=rwx /etc/at.allow
if grep -Pq -- '^\h*daemon\:' /etc/group; then
chown root:daemon /etc/at.allow
else
chown root:root /etc/at.allow
fi
}
IF - /etc/at.deny exists, run the following script to:
Change owner to user root
Change group owner to group root - OR - group daemon if it exists
Change mode to 640 or more restrictive
#!/usr/bin/env bash
{
if [ -e "/etc/at.deny" ]; then
chmod u=rw,g=wx,o=rwx /etc/at.deny
if grep -Pq -- '^\h*daemon\:' /etc/group; then
chown root:daemon /etc/at.deny
else
chown root:root /etc/at.deny
fi
fi
}
Note: On systems where at is configured to use the group daemon, if the group daemon is not set as the owner of at.allow, then at will deny access to all users and you will see an error similar to:
You (<USERNAME>) are not allowed to use this program (at)
See at(1) for more information
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-3. MP-2
CIS Controls
| Controls Version | Control | IG 1 | IG 2 | IG 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v8 | 3.3 Configure Data Access Control ListsConfigure data access control lists based on a user's need to know. Apply data access control lists, also known as access permissions, to local and remote file systems, databases, and applications. | ● | ● | ● |
| v7 | 14.6 Protect Information through Access Control ListsProtect all information stored on systems with file system, network share, claims, application, or database specific access control lists. These controls will enforce the principle that only authorized individuals should have access to the information based on their need to access the information as a part of their responsibilities. | ● | ● | ● |
MITRE ATT&CK Mappings
| Techniques / Sub-techniques | Tactics | Mitigations |
|---|---|---|
| T1053, T1053.003 | TA0002 | M1018 |