The /etc/hosts file must have mode 0644 or less permissive.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
GEN001368-ESXI5-PNF	GEN001368-ESXI5-PNF	GEN001368-ESXI5-PNF_rule		Medium

Description
The /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) configures local host name to IP address mappings that typically take precedence over DNS resolution. If this file is maliciously modified, it could cause the failure or compromise of security functions requiring name resolution, which may include time synchronization, centralized authentication, and remote system logging. Applicable, but permanent not-a-finding - Not a General Purpose (GP) OS. VMware's ESXi-v5 is a multi-user kernel where all users are "administrator" with either: Administrator with Full and partial (configurable) privileges, Read-only, or No Access. In this case, the file owner, group-owner and mode(s) have no meaning.

Description

The /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) configures local host name to IP address mappings that typically take precedence over DNS resolution. If this file is maliciously modified, it could cause the failure or compromise of security functions requiring name resolution, which may include time synchronization, centralized authentication, and remote system logging. Applicable, but permanent not-a-finding - Not a General Purpose (GP) OS. VMware's ESXi-v5 is a multi-user kernel where all users are "administrator" with either: Administrator with Full and partial (configurable) privileges, Read-only, or No Access. In this case, the file owner, group-owner and mode(s) have no meaning.

STIG	Date
VMware ESXi v5 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-01-15

Details

Check Text ( C-GEN001368-ESXI5-PNF_chk )
ESXi supports this requirement and cannot be configured to be out of compliance. This is a permanent not a finding.

Fix Text (F-GEN001368-ESXI5-PNF_fix)
This requirement is permanent not a finding. No fix is required.