RHEL 10 must be configured so that the "/etc/shadow-" file is group-owned by "root".

STIG ID: RHEL-10-400075  |  SRG: SRG-OS-000080-GPOS-00048 |  Severity: medium (CAT II)  |  CCI: CCI-000213 |  Vulnerability Id: V-281032

Vulnerability Discussion

The "/etc/shadow-" file is a backup file of "/etc/shadow", and as such contains the list of local system accounts and password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

Check

Verify RHEL 10 is configured so that the "/etc/shadow-" file is group-owned by "root" with the following command:

$ sudo stat -c "%G %n" /etc/shadow-
root /etc/shadow-

If the "/etc/shadow-" file does not have a group owner of "root", this is a finding.

Fix

Configure RHEL 10 so that the group of the "/etc/shadow-" file is set to "root" by running the following command:

$ sudo chgrp root /etc/shadow-
This website is not created by, run, approved, or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Use at your own risk. This website is created by open-source software.