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← Back to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Security Technical Implementation Guide

V-217172

CAT II (Medium)

All SUSE operating system local interactive user home directories defined in the /etc/passwd file must exist.

Rule ID

SV-217172r1184438_rule

STIG

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V3R5

CCIs

CCI-000366

Discussion

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.

Check Content

Verify the assigned home directory of all SUSE operating system local interactive users on the system 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, $6}' /etc/passwd

dosuser /home/dosuser

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 'dosuser': directory '/home/dosuser' does not exist

If any home directories referenced in "/etc/passwd" are returned as not defined, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Create home directories to all SUSE operating system 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 dosuser, who has a home directory of "/home/dosuser", a UID of "dosuser", and a Group Identifier (GID) of "users assigned" in "/etc/passwd".

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