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

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.

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.

Change the mode of the file "/etc/group-" to "0644" by running the following command:

$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/group-