Any X Windows host must write .Xauthority files.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-850	GEN005160	SV-35160r1_rule	ECCD-1 ECCD-2	Medium

Description
.Xauthority files ensure the user is authorized to access the specific X Windows host. If .Xauthority files are not used, it may be possible to obtain unauthorized access to the X Windows host.

STIG	Date
HP-UX 11.31 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2016-12-20

Details

Check Text ( C-36598r1_chk )
Check for .Xauthority files being utilized by looking for such files in the home directory of a user using X. Get a list of (non-system account) users and the associated home directories. # cat /etc/passwd \| cut -f 1,6 -d ":" Inspect individual user home directories for the .Xauthority file. # find -type f -name "\.Xauthority" -exec ls -lLa {} \; If the .Xauthority file does not exist, ask the SA if the user is using X Windows. If the user is utilizing X Windows and the .Xauthority file does not exist, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-36598r1_chk )

Check for .Xauthority files being utilized by looking for such files in the home directory of a user using X. Get a list of (non-system account) users and the associated home directories.
# cat /etc/passwd | cut -f 1,6 -d ":"

Inspect individual user home directories for the .Xauthority file.
# find -type f -name "\.Xauthority" -exec ls -lLa {} \;

If the .Xauthority file does not exist, ask the SA if the user is using X Windows. If the user is utilizing X Windows and the .Xauthority file does not exist, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31964r1_fix)
Ensure the X Windows host is configured to write .Xauthority files into user home directories. Edit the file. Ensure the line writing the .Xauthority file is uncommented.