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V-240436

CAT II (Medium)

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

Rule ID

SV-240436r671049_rule

STIG

VMware vRealize Automation 7.x SLES Security Technical Implementation Guide

Version

V2R2

CCIs

CCI-000382

Discussion

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.

Check Content

Verify the ownership of files referenced within the sendmail aliases file:

# more /etc/aliases

Examine the aliases file for any directories or paths used:

# ls -lL <directory or file path>

Check the owner for any paths referenced. 

If the file or parent directory is not owned by "root", this is a finding.

Fix Text

Edit the /etc/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 or directories they reside in by using the "chown" command to change owner to "root":

# chown root <file or directory name>