IT Best Practices Tip: nist_V-38503

Severity: medium

Short Description

The /etc/shadow file must be group-owned by root.

Long Description

The "/etc/shadow" file stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

How to Check Correct Configuration

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

$ ls -l /etc/shadow

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/shadow", run the command:

# chgrp root /etc/shadow