User start-up files must not execute world-writable programs.

From Oracle Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Part of GEN001940

Associated with: CCI-000225

SV-63573r3_rule User start-up files must not execute world-writable programs.

Vulnerability discussion

If start-up files execute world-writable programs, especially in unprotected directories, they could be maliciously modified to become trojans that destroy user files or otherwise compromise the system at the user, or higher, level. If the system is compromised at the user level, it is much easier to eventually compromise the system at the root and network level.

Check content

Determine the world writable files on the system (Note: ignore all files under /proc): # find / -perm -002 -a -type f -exec ls -ld {} \; | # find / -perm -002 -a -type d -exec ls -ld {} \; | View the password file to determine where the home directories for users are: # more /etc/passwd Once the directory for the human users is determined, grep for the lists of world writable files and directories within the users’ home directories. An example would be: # grep /opt/app/bin/daemon /home/*/.* where /home is the directory for the human users on the system and /opt/app/bin/daemon is a world writable file.

Fix text

Remove the world-writable permission of files referenced by local initialization scripts, or remove the references to these files in the local initialization scripts.

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