| name | cis-ubuntu2004-v300-5-4-3-3 |
| description | Ensure default user umask is configured |
| category | cis-iam |
| version | 3.0.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["cis","ubuntu","linux","ubuntu-20.04","users","authentication"] |
| cis_id | 5.4.3.3 |
| cis_benchmark | CIS Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS Benchmark v3.0.0 |
| tech_stack | ["ubuntu","linux"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | [] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {} |
5.4.3.3 Ensure default user umask is configured (Automated)
Profile
- Level 1 - Server
- Level 1 - Workstation
Description
The user file-creation mode mask (umask) is used to determine the file permission for newly created directories and files. In Linux, the default permissions for any newly created directory is 0777 (rwxrwxrwx), and for any newly created file it is 0666 (rw-rw-rw-). The umask modifies the default Linux permissions by restricting (masking) these permissions. The umask is not simply subtracted, but is processed bitwise. Bits set in the umask are cleared in the resulting file mode.
umask can be set with either Octal or Symbolic values:
Octal (Numeric) Value - Represented by either three or four digits. ie umask 0027 or umask 027. If a four digit umask is used, the first digit is ignored. The remaining three digits effect the resulting permissions for user, group, and world/other respectively.
Symbolic Value - Represented by a comma separated list for User u, group g, and world/other o. The permissions listed are not masked by umask. ie a umask set by umask u=rwx,g=rx,o= is the Symbolic equivalent of the Octal umask 027. This umask would set a newly created directory with file mode drwxr-x--- and a newly created file with file mode rw-r-----.
The default umask can be set to use the pam_umask module or in a System Wide Shell Configuration File. The user creating the directories or files has the discretion of changing the permissions via the chmod command, or choosing a different default umask by adding the umask command into a User Shell Configuration File, (.bash_profile or .bashrc), in their home directory.
Setting the default umask:
-
pam_umask module:
- will set the umask according to the system default in and user settings, solving the problem of different settings with different shells, display managers, remote sessions etc.