The /etc/hosts file must be group-owned by bin, sys, or system.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-22324	GEN001367	SV-39100r1_rule	ECLP-1	Medium

Description
The /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) configures local host name to IP address mappings that typically take precedence over DNS resolution. If this file is maliciously modified, it could cause the failure or compromise of security functions requiring name resolution, which may include time synchronization, centralized authentication, and remote system logging.

STIG	Date
AIX 5.3 SECURITY TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE	2014-10-03

Details

Check Text ( C-38081r1_chk )
Check the /etc/hosts file's group ownership. Procedure: # ls -lL /etc/hosts If the file is not group-owned by bin, sys, or system, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-33351r1_fix)
Change the group owner of the /etc/hosts file to sys, bin, or system. Procedure: # chgrp system /etc/hosts