All .Xauthority files must have mode 0600 or less permissive.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-216309 | SRG-OS-000480 | SOL-11.1-020510 | SV-216309r959010_rule | 2026-02-19 | 3 |
Description
.Xauthority files ensure the user is authorized to access the specific X Windows host. Excessive permissions may permit unauthorized modification of these files, which could lead to Denial of Service to authorized access or allow unauthorized access to be obtained.
ℹ️ Check
If X Display Manager (XDM) is not used on the system, this is not applicable.
Determine if XDM is running.
Procedure:
# ps -ef | grep xdm
Check the file permissions for the .Xauthority files in the home directories of users of X. Procedure:
# cd ~<X user>
# ls -lL .Xauthority
If the file mode is more permissive than 0600, this is finding.
✔️ Fix
Change the mode of the .Xauthority files.
Procedure:
# chmod 0600 .Xauthority