Rule version TOSS-05-000251 · STIG v1 · 2026-08-20
Service configuration files enable or disable features of their respective services, which if configured incorrectly, can lead to insecure and vulnerable configurations. Therefore, service configuration files must be owned by the correct group to prevent unauthorized changes.
Verify the ownership of the "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" file using the following command:
$ ls -al /etc/ssh/sshd_config
rw-------. 1 root root 3669 Feb 22 11:34 /etc/ssh/sshd_config
If the "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" file does not have an owner of "root", this is a finding.
Configure the "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" file to be owned by root using the following command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/ssh/sshd_config