User start-up files must not execute world-writable programs.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-4087	GEN001940	SV-37433r2_rule	DCSW-1	Medium

Description
If start-up files execute world-writable programs, especially in unprotected directories, they could be maliciously modified to become trojans that destroy user files or otherwise compromise the system at the user, or higher, level. If the system is compromised at the user level, it is much easier to eventually compromise the system at the root and network level.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2015-03-12

Details

Check Text ( C-36012r5_chk )
Determine the world writable files on the system (Note: ignore all files under /proc): # find / -perm -002 –a –type f –exec ls –ld {} \; \| # find / -perm -002 –a –type d –exec ls –ld {} \; \| View the password file to determine where the home directories for users: # more /etc/passwd Once the directory for the human users is determined grep for the lists of world writable files and directories within the users’ home directories. An example would be: # grep /opt/app/bin/daemon /home//. Where /home is the directory for the human users on the system and /opt/app/bin/daemon is a world writable file.

Check Text ( C-36012r5_chk )

Determine the world writable files on the system (Note: ignore all files under /proc):

# find / -perm -002 –a –type f –exec ls –ld {} \; |

# find / -perm -002 –a –type d –exec ls –ld {} \; |

View the password file to determine where the home directories for users:

# more /etc/passwd

Once the directory for the human users is determined grep for the lists of world writable files and directories within the users’ home directories.

An example would be:
# grep /opt/app/bin/daemon /home/*/.*

Where /home is the directory for the human users on the system and /opt/app/bin/daemon is a world writable file.

Fix Text (F-31263r2_fix)
Remove the world-writable permission of files referenced by local initialization scripts, or remove the references to these files in the local initialization scripts.