NGINX must restrict access to configuration files.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-278397	SRG-APP-000380	NGNX-APP-001590	SV-278397r1171943_rule	2026-01-07	1

Description
Failure to provide logical access restrictions associated with changes to application configuration may have significant effects on the overall security of the system. When dealing with access restrictions pertaining to change control, it must be noted that any changes to the hardware, software, and/or firmware components of the information system and/or application can potentially have significant effects on the overall security of the system. Accordingly, only qualified and authorized individuals must be allowed to obtain access to application components for the purposes of initiating changes, including upgrades and modifications. Logical access restrictions include, for example, controls that restrict access to workflow automation, media libraries, abstract layers (e.g., changes implemented into third-party interfaces rather than directly into information systems), and change windows (e.g., changes occur only during specified times, making unauthorized changes easy to discover). Satisfies: SRG-APP-000380, SRG-APP-000381

Description

Failure to provide logical access restrictions associated with changes to application configuration may have significant effects on the overall security of the system. When dealing with access restrictions pertaining to change control, it must be noted that any changes to the hardware, software, and/or firmware components of the information system and/or application can potentially have significant effects on the overall security of the system. Accordingly, only qualified and authorized individuals must be allowed to obtain access to application components for the purposes of initiating changes, including upgrades and modifications. Logical access restrictions include, for example, controls that restrict access to workflow automation, media libraries, abstract layers (e.g., changes implemented into third-party interfaces rather than directly into information systems), and change windows (e.g., changes occur only during specified times, making unauthorized changes easy to discover). Satisfies: SRG-APP-000380, SRG-APP-000381

ℹ️ Check
Determine the path to NGINX config file(s): nginx -qT \| grep "# configuration" # configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf: Note: The default NGINX configuration is "/etc/nginx/nginx.conf", though various files may also be included. Check the permissions on the directory: # ls -la /etc drwxr-x-r-x 3 root root 4096 Sep 16 18:28 nginx If permissions to write are allowed for "Other", this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

Determine the path to NGINX config file(s): nginx -qT | grep "# configuration" # configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf: Note: The default NGINX configuration is "/etc/nginx/nginx.conf", though various files may also be included. Check the permissions on the directory: # ls -la /etc drwxr-x-r-x 3 root root 4096 Sep 16 18:28 nginx If permissions to write are allowed for "Other", this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Determine the path to NGINX config file(s): nginx -qT \| grep "# configuration" # configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf: Note: The default NGINX configuration is "/etc/nginx/nginx.conf", though various files may also be included. Ensure permissions on the configuration directory do not allow write permissions for "Other": # chmod o-w /etc/nginx