cis-ubuntu1204-v110-9-1-3

name	cis-ubuntu1204-v110-9-1-3
description	Set User/Group Owner and Permission on /etc/cron.hourly
category	cis-os-hardening
version	1.1.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","ubuntu",12.04,"linux","authentication","cron","permissions"]
cis_id	9.1.3
cis_benchmark	CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
tech_stack	["ubuntu","linux"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

9.1.3 Set User/Group Owner and Permission on /etc/cron.hourly (Scored)

Profile Applicability

• Level 1

Description

This directory contains system cron jobs that need to run on an hourly basis. The files in this directory cannot be manipulated by the crontab command, but are instead edited by system administrators using a text editor. The commands below restrict read/write and search access to user and group root, preventing regular users from accessing this directory.

Rationale

Granting write access to this directory for non-privileged users could provide them the means for gaining unauthorized elevated privileges. Granting read access to this directory could give an unprivileged user insight in how to gain elevated privileges or circumvent auditing controls.

Audit Procedure

Using Command Line

Perform the following to determine if the /etc/cron.hourly file has the correct permissions:

stat -c "%a %u %g" /etc/cron.hourly | egrep ".00 0 0"

Expected Result

If the above command emits no output then the system is not configured as recommended. Expected output should match the pattern .00 0 0 (owner root, group root, permissions restrictive).

Remediation

Using Command Line

chown root:root /etc/cron.hourly
chmod og-rwx /etc/cron.hourly

Default Value

The default permissions on /etc/cron.hourly may vary by installation.

References

• CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0

Profile

Level 1 - Scored