AIX time synchronization configuration file must be owned by root.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-215272SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227AIX7-00-002081SV-215272r991589_rule2024-08-163
Description
A synchronized system clock is critical for the enforcement of time-based policies and the correlation of logs and audit records with other systems. If an illicit time source is used for synchronization, the integrity of system logs and the security of the system could be compromised. If the configuration files controlling time synchronization are not owned by a system account, unauthorized modifications could result in the failure of time synchronization.
ℹ️ Check
Check the ownership of /etc/ntp.conf using command: # ls -al /etc/ntp.conf The above command should yield the following output: -rw-r----- 1 root system 993 Aug 25 18:26 /etc/ntp.conf If the file is not owned by root, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Change the ownership of the file to root using command: # chown root /etc/ntp.conf