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The AIX /etc/hosts file must have a mode of 0640 or less permissive.


Overview

Finding ID Version Rule ID IA Controls Severity
V-245559 AIX7-00-002142 SV-245559r818800_rule Medium
Description
Unauthorized permissions of the /etc/hosts file can lead to the ability for a malicious actor to redirect traffic to servers of their choice. It is also possible to use the /etc/hosts file to block detection by security software by blocking the traffic to all the download or update servers of well-known security vendors.
STIG Date
IBM AIX 7.x Security Technical Implementation Guide 2023-08-23

Details

Check Text ( C-48838r818798_chk )
Check the mode of /etc/hosts using command:
# ls -al /etc/hosts

The above command should yield the following output:
-rw-r----- 1 root system 993 Mar 11 07:04 /etc/hosts

If the file has a mode more permissive than "0640", this is a finding.
Fix Text (F-48793r818799_fix)
Change the mode of the file to 0640 using command:
# chmod 0640 /etc/hosts