RHEL 9 /etc/group- file must have mode 0644 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-257892SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227RHEL-09-232060SV-257892r991589_rule2025-02-272
Description
The "/etc/group-" file is a backup file of "/etc/group", and as such, contains information regarding groups that are configured on the system. Protection of this file is important for system security.
ℹ️ Check
Verify that the "/etc/group-" file has mode "0644" or less permissive with the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /etc/group- 644 /etc/group- If a value of "0644" or less permissive is not returned, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Change the mode of the file "/etc/group-" to "0644" by running the following command: $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/group-