The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured so that all local interactive users have a home directory assigned and defined in the /etc/passwd file.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-204467	RHEL-07-020620	SV-204467r603826_rule		Medium

Description
If local interactive users are not assigned a valid home directory, there is no place for the storage and control of files they should own. In addition, if a local interactive user has a home directory defined that does not exist, the user may be given access to the / directory as the current working directory upon logon. This could create a Denial of Service because the user would not be able to access their logon configuration files, and it may give them visibility to system files they normally would not be able to access.

Description

If local interactive users are not assigned a valid home directory, there is no place for the storage and control of files they should own. In addition, if a local interactive user has a home directory defined that does not exist, the user may be given access to the / directory as the current working directory upon logon. This could create a Denial of Service because the user would not be able to access their logon configuration files, and it may give them visibility to system files they normally would not be able to access.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-09-08

Details

Check Text ( C-4591r622289_chk )
Verify local interactive users on the system have a home directory assigned and the directory exists. Check the home directory assignment for all local interactive non-privileged users on the system with the following command: # awk -F: '($3>=1000)&&($7 !~ /nologin/){print $1, $3, $6}' /etc/passwd smithj 1001 /home/smithj Note: This may miss interactive users that have been assigned a privileged UID. Evidence of interactive use may be obtained from a number of log files containing system logon information. Check that all referenced home directories exist with the following command: # pwck -r user 'smithj': directory '/home/smithj' does not exist If any home directories referenced in "/etc/passwd" are returned as not defined, or if any interactive users do not have a home directory assigned, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-4591r622289_chk )

Verify local interactive users on the system have a home directory assigned and the directory exists.

Check the home directory assignment for all local interactive non-privileged users on the system with the following command:

# awk -F: '($3>=1000)&&($7 !~ /nologin/){print $1, $3, $6}' /etc/passwd

smithj 1001 /home/smithj

Note: This may miss interactive users that have been assigned a privileged UID. Evidence of interactive use may be obtained from a number of log files containing system logon information.

Check that all referenced home directories exist with the following command:

# pwck -r
user 'smithj': directory '/home/smithj' does not exist

If any home directories referenced in "/etc/passwd" are returned as not defined, or if any interactive users do not have a home directory assigned, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-4591r462550_fix)
Create home directories to all local interactive users that currently do not have a home directory assigned. Use the following commands to create the user home directory assigned in "/etc/ passwd": Note: The example will be for the user smithj, who has a home directory of "/home/smithj", a UID of "smithj", and a Group Identifier (GID) of "users" assigned in "/etc/passwd". # mkdir /home/smithj # chown smithj /home/smithj # chgrp users /home/smithj # chmod 0750 /home/smithj

Fix Text (F-4591r462550_fix)

Create home directories to all local interactive users that currently do not have a home directory assigned. Use the following commands to create the user home directory assigned in "/etc/ passwd":

Note: The example will be for the user smithj, who has a home directory of "/home/smithj", a UID of "smithj", and a Group Identifier (GID) of "users" assigned in "/etc/passwd".

# mkdir /home/smithj
# chown smithj /home/smithj
# chgrp users /home/smithj
# chmod 0750 /home/smithj