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

STIG ID: RHEL-10-400060  |  SRG: SRG-OS-000080-GPOS-00048 |  Severity: medium (CAT II)  |  CCI: CCI-000213 |  Vulnerability Id: V-281029

Vulnerability Discussion

The "/etc/shadow" file contains the list of local system accounts and stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. Failure to give ownership of this file to "root" provides the designated owner with access to sensitive information, which could weaken the system security posture.

Check

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

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

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

Fix

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

$ sudo chown 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.