RHEL 9 /etc/gshadow- file must have mode 0000 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-257894SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227RHEL-09-232070SV-257894r991589_rule2025-02-272
Description
The "/etc/gshadow-" file is a backup of "/etc/gshadow", and as such, contains group password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.
ℹ️ Check
Verify that the "/etc/gshadow-" file has mode "0000" with the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /etc/gshadow- 0 /etc/gshadow- If a value of "0" is not returned, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Change the mode of the file "/etc/gshadow-" to "0000" by running the following command: $ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/gshadow-