cis-ubuntu1604-v200-1-7-4

name	cis-ubuntu1604-v200-1-7-4
description	Ensure permissions on /etc/motd are configured
category	cis-iam
version	2.0.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","ubuntu","linux","ubuntu-16.04","motd","permissions","file-permissions","banner"]
cis_id	1.7.4
cis_benchmark	CIS Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS Benchmark v2.0.0
tech_stack	["ubuntu","linux"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

CIS Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS Benchmark v2.0.0 - 1.7.4

Profile Applicability

• Level 1 - Server
• Level 1 - Workstation

Description

The contents of the /etc/motd file are displayed to users after login and function as a message of the day for authenticated users.

Rationale

If the /etc/motd file does not have the correct ownership it could be modified by unauthorized users with incorrect or misleading information.

Audit Procedure

Command Line

Run the following command and verify Uid and Gid are both 0/root and Access is 644, or the file doesn't exist:

stat /etc/motd

Expected output:

Access: (0644/-rw-r--r--) Uid: ( 0/ root) Gid: ( 0/ root)

OR

stat: cannot stat '/etc/motd': No such file or directory

Expected Result

/etc/motd should be owned by root:root with permissions 644, or the file should not exist.

Remediation

Command Line

Run the following commands to set permissions on /etc/motd:

chown root:root /etc/motd
chmod u-x,go-wx /etc/motd

OR run the following command to remove the /etc/motd file:

rm /etc/motd

Additional Information

If Message of the day is not needing, this file can be removed.

Default Value

File doesn't exist.

References

None.

CIS Controls

Controls Version	Control
v7	5.1 Establish Secure Configurations

Assessment Status

Automated