The /etc/hosts file must have mode 0644 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-22325	GEN001368	SV-38315r1_rule	ECLP-1	Medium

Description
The /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) configures local host name to IP address mappings 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
HP-UX 11.23 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2012-05-25

Details

Check Text ( C-36324r1_chk )
Check the mode of the /etc/hosts file. # ls -lL /etc/hosts If the file mode is more permissive than 0644, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31579r1_fix)
Change the mode of the /etc/hosts file to 0644 or less permissive. # chmod 0644 /etc/hosts