RHEL 9 /etc/passwd- file must be group-owned by root.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-257909 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | RHEL-09-232145 | SV-257909r991589_rule | 2026-02-05 | 2 |
Description
The "/etc/passwd-" file is a backup file of "/etc/passwd", and as such, contains information about the users that are configured on the system. Protection of this file is critical for system security.
ℹ️ Check
Verify the group ownership of the "/etc/passwd-" file with the following command:
$ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /etc/passwd-
root /etc/passwd-
If "/etc/passwd-" file does not have a group owner of "root", this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Change the group of the file /etc/passwd- to root by running the following command:
$ sudo chgrp root /etc/passwd-