GEN000000-LNX00500 - The /etc/sysctl.conf file must be group-owned by root.

Information

The sysctl.conf file specifies the values for kernel parameters to be set on boot. These settings can affect the system's security.

Solution

Use the chgrp command to change the group owner of /etc/sysctl.conf to root:
# chgrp root /etc/sysctl.conf

See Also

http://iasecontent.disa.mil/stigs/zip/U_RedHat_5_V1R18_STIG.zip

Item Details

Audit Name: DISA STIG for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 v1r18 Audit

Category: ACCESS CONTROL

References: 800-53|AC-6, CAT|II, CCI|CCI-000225, Group-ID|V-4335, Rule-ID|SV-37257r1_rule, STIG-ID|GEN000000-LNX00500, Vuln-ID|V-4335

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 63f509fc9ac6a69adc6346d67706db7c3521f837c1f443e40b9a02b05f9d313c