The /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive.

From Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-000366

SV-50257r1_rule The /etc/passwd file must have mode 0644 or less permissive.

Vulnerability discussion

If the "/etc/passwd" file is writable by a group-owner or the world the risk of its compromise is increased. The file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information, and protection of this file is critical for system security.

Check content

To check the permissions of "/etc/passwd", run the command: $ ls -l /etc/passwd If properly configured, the output should indicate the following permissions: "-rw-r--r--" If it does not, this is a finding.

Fix text

To properly set the permissions of "/etc/passwd", run the command: # chmod 0644 /etc/passwd

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