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

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
GEN001940-ESXI5-PNF	GEN001940-ESXI5-PNF	GEN001940-ESXI5-PNF_rule		Medium

Description
If start-up files execute world-writable programs, especially in unprotected directories, they could be maliciously modified to become Trojans destroying user files or otherwise compromising 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. 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

If start-up files execute world-writable programs, especially in unprotected directories, they could be maliciously modified to become Trojans destroying user files or otherwise compromising 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. 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-GEN001940-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-GEN001940-ESXI5-PNF_fix)
This requirement is permanent not a finding. No fix is required.