Verify User Who Owns passwd File
Description
To properly set the owner of /etc/passwd, run the command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/passwd
Rationale
The /etc/passwd file contains information about the users that are configured on
the system. Protection of this file is critical for system security.
Shell script
The following script can be run on the host to remediate the issue.
#!/bin/bash
if id "0" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
newown="0"
fi
if [[ -z ${newown} ]]; then
echo "0 is not a defined user on the system"
exit 1
fi
chown $newown /etc/passwd
Ansible playbook
The following playbook can be run with Ansible to remediate the issue.
- name: Set the file_owner_etc_passwd_newown variable if represented by uid
set_fact:
file_owner_etc_passwd_newown: '0'
tags:
- CJIS-5.5.2.2
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- PCI-DSS-Req-8.7.c
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
- configure_strategy
- file_owner_etc_passwd
- low_complexity
- low_disruption
- medium_severity
- no_reboot_needed
- name: Test for existence /etc/passwd
stat:
path: /etc/passwd
register: file_exists
tags:
- CJIS-5.5.2.2
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- PCI-DSS-Req-8.7.c
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
- configure_strategy
- file_owner_etc_passwd
- low_complexity
- low_disruption
- medium_severity
- no_reboot_needed
- name: Ensure owner on /etc/passwd
file:
path: /etc/passwd
owner: '{{ file_owner_etc_passwd_newown }}'
when: file_exists.stat is defined and file_exists.stat.exists
tags:
- CJIS-5.5.2.2
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- PCI-DSS-Req-8.7.c
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2
- PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
- configure_strategy
- file_owner_etc_passwd
- low_complexity
- low_disruption
- medium_severity
- no_reboot_needed
