Profile Applicability:
Level 1

Description:
 The /etc/group- file is a backup of the /etc/group file, which contains group account information. Improper permissions on this backup file can expose group details to unauthorized users.

Rationale:
 Securing permissions on /etc/group- prevents unauthorized access to group information, reducing potential security risks.

Impact:
 Pros:

  • Protects sensitive group account data.

  • Supports system security and integrity.

Cons:

  • Overly restrictive permissions may affect backup and restore processes.

Default Value:
 Permissions may vary by distribution but should be restrictive.

Pre-requisites:

  • Root or sudo privileges to audit and modify file permissions.

Remediation:

Test Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Check current permissions of /etc/group-:

    ls -l /etc/group-

    2. Verify ownership is root:root and permissions are set to 644 or more restrictive.


Implementation Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Set ownership to root:

    chown root:root /etc/group-

  2. Set permissions to 644:

    chmod 644 /etc/group-

  3. Verify changes:

    ls -l /etc/group-

Backout Plan:

Using Linux command line:

  1. Restore previous permissions and ownership from backup if necessary.

  2. Confirm system utilities operate correctly after changes.

References: