Files executed through a mail aliases file must be owned by root and must reside within a directory owned and writable only by root.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-833	GEN004400	SV-833r2_rule	ECLP-1	High

Description
If a file executed through a mail aliases file is not owned and writable only by root, it may be subject to unauthorized modification. Unauthorized modification of files executed through aliases may allow unauthorized users to attain root privileges.

STIG	Date
Solaris 9 SPARC Security Technical Implementation Guide	2012-05-25

Details

Check Text ( C-615r2_chk )
Find the aliases file on the system. Procedure: # find / -name aliases -depth -print # more < aliases file location > Examine the aliases file for any directories or paths that may be utilized. Procedure: # ls -lL < path > Check if the file or parent directory is owned by root. If not, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-987r2_fix)
Edit the /etc/mail/aliases file (alternatively, /usr/lib/sendmail.cf). Locate the entries executing a program. They will appear similar to the following line. Aliasname: : /usr/local/bin/ls (or some other program name) Ensure root owns the programs and the directory(ies) they reside in by using the chown command to change owner to root. Procedure: # chown root filename