IT Best Practices Tip: nist_V-38448

Severity: medium

Short Description

The /etc/gshadow file must be group-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 group ownership of "/etc/gshadow", run the command:

$ ls -l /etc/gshadow

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

How to Fix

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

# chgrp root /etc/gshadow