The /etc/passwd file must have mode 0444 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-798	GEN001380	SV-38469r1_rule	ECLP-1	Medium

Description
If the passwd file is writable by a group owner or the world, the risk of passwd file compromise is increased. The passwd file contains the list of accounts on the system and associated information.

STIG	Date
HP-UX 11.23 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2015-12-02

Details

Check Text ( C-36331r1_chk )
Check the mode of the /etc/passwd file. Procedure: # ls -lL /etc/passwd If /etc/passwd has a mode more permissive than 0444, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31586r1_fix)
Change the mode of the passwd file to 0444. # chmod 0444 /etc/passwd Document all changes.