The OL 8 SSH private host key files must have mode "0640" or less permissive.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-248602 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | OL08-00-010490 | SV-248602r991589_rule | 2025-05-13 | 2 |
| Description |
|---|
| If an unauthorized user obtains the private SSH host key file, the host could be impersonated. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify the SSH private host key files have mode "0640" or less permissive with the following command: $ sudo ls -alL /etc/ssh/ssh_host*key -rw-r----- 1 root wheel 668 Nov 28 06:43 ssh_host_dsa_key -rw-r----- 1 root wheel 582 Nov 28 06:43 ssh_host_key -rw-r----- 1 root wheel 887 Nov 28 06:43 ssh_host_rsa_key If any private host key file has a mode more permissive than "0640", this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Configure the mode of SSH private host key files under "/etc/ssh" to "0640" with the following command: $ sudo chmod 0640 /etc/ssh/ssh_host*key The SSH daemon must be restarted for the changes to take effect. To restart the SSH daemon, run the following command: $ sudo systemctl restart sshd.service |