Local RHEL 9 initialization files must not execute world-writable programs.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258062	RHEL-09-411115	SV-258062r991589_rule		Medium

Description

If user start-up files execute world-writable programs, especially in unprotected directories, they could be maliciously modified to destroy user files or otherwise compromise the system at the user level. If the system is compromised at the user level, it is easier to elevate privileges to eventually compromise the system at the root and network level.

STIG	Date
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2024-12-04

Details

Check Text (C-61803r926171_chk)

Verify that local initialization files do not execute world-writable programs with the following command:

Note: The example will be for a system that is configured to create user home directories in the "/home" directory.

$ sudo find /home -perm -002 -type f -name ".[^.]*" -exec ls -ld {} \;

If any local initialization files are found to reference world-writable files, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-61727r926172_fix)

Set the mode on files being executed by the local initialization files with the following command:

$ sudo chmod 0755 <file>