RHEL 9 /etc/shadow- file must have mode 0000 or less permissive to prevent unauthorized access.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-257897 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | RHEL-09-232085 | SV-257897r991589_rule | 2025-02-27 | 2 |
| Description |
|---|
| The "/etc/shadow-" file is a backup file of "/etc/shadow", and as such, contains the list of local system accounts and password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. |
| ℹ️ Check |
|---|
| Verify that the "/etc/shadow-" file has mode "0000" with the following command: $ sudo stat -c "%a %n" /etc/shadow- 0 /etc/shadow- If a value of "0" is not returned, this is a finding. |
| ✔️ Fix |
|---|
| Change the mode of the file "/etc/shadow-" to "0000" by running the following command: $ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow- |