The system must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes.

From Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with IA controls: IAIA-2, IAIA-1

Associated with: CCI-000213

SV-37350r1_rule The system must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes.

Vulnerability discussion

If the system does not require valid root authentication before it boots into single-user or maintenance mode, anyone who invokes single-user or maintenance mode is granted privileged access to all files on the system.

Check content

Fix text

Edit /etc/inittab and set sulogin to run in single-user mode. Example line in /etc/inittab: ~:S:wait:/sbin/sulogin

Pro Tips

Lavender hyperlinks in small type off to the right (of CSS class id, if you view the page source) point to globally unique URIs for each document and item. Copy the link location and paste anywhere you need to talk unambiguously about these things.

You can obtain data about documents and items in other formats. Simply provide an HTTP header Accept: text/turtle or Accept: application/rdf+xml.