IT Best Practices Tip: nist_V-38443

Severity: medium

Short Description

The /etc/gshadow file must be owned by root.

Long Description

The "/etc/gshadow" file contains group password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

How to Check Correct Configuration

To check the ownership of "/etc/gshadow", run the command:

$ ls -l /etc/gshadow

If properly configured, the output should indicate the following owner: "root"
If it does not, this is a finding.

How to Fix

To properly set the owner of "/etc/gshadow", run the command:

# chown root /etc/gshadow