The time synchronization configuration file (such as /etc/ntp.conf) must have mode 0640 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-22296	GEN000252	SV-37417r1_rule	ECLP-1	Medium

Description
A synchronized system clock is critical for the enforcement of time-based policies and the correlation of logs and audit records with other systems. If an illicit time source is used for synchronization, the integrity of system logs and the security of the system could be compromised. If the configuration files controlling time synchronization are not protected, unauthorized modifications could result in the failure of time synchronization.

Description

A synchronized system clock is critical for the enforcement of time-based policies and the correlation of logs and audit records with other systems. If an illicit time source is used for synchronization, the integrity of system logs and the security of the system could be compromised. If the configuration files controlling time synchronization are not protected, unauthorized modifications could result in the failure of time synchronization.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2016-06-01

Details

Check Text ( C-36100r1_chk )
Check the mode for the NTP configuration file is not more permissive than 0640. # ls -l /etc/ntp.conf If the mode is more permissive than 0640, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-31347r1_fix)
Change the mode of the NTP configuration file to 0640 or more restrictive. # chmod 0640 /etc/ntp.conf