The TOSS 5 /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-282650 | SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227 | TOSS-05-000154 | SV-282650r1200930_rule | 2026-04-01 | 1 |
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. Protecting this file is critical for system security.
ℹ️ Check
Verify the "/etc/shadow-" file has mode "0000" using 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" using the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0000 /etc/shadow-