The /etc/hosts file must not have an extended ACL.

From MAC OSX 10.6 Workstation Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with IA controls: ECLP-1

Associated with: CCI-000225

SV-38086r1_rule The /etc/hosts file must not have an extended ACL.

Vulnerability discussion

The /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) configures local host name to IP address mappings typically taking precedence over DNS resolution. If this file is maliciously modified, it could cause the failure or compromise of security functions requiring name resolution, such as time synchronization, centralized authentication, and remote system logging.

Check content

Open a terminal session and enter the following command to view the /etc/hosts file extended ACLs. ls -lL /etc/hosts If the permissions include a '+', the file has an extended ACL, this is a finding.

Fix text

Open a terminal session and enter the following command to remove the extended ACLs. chmod -N /etc/hosts

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