9.3.3 Set Permissions on /etc/ssh/sshd_config (Scored)
Profile Applicability
Description
The /etc/ssh/sshd_config file contains configuration specifications for sshd. The command below sets the owner and group of the file to root.
Rationale
The /etc/ssh/sshd_config file needs to be protected from unauthorized changes by nonprivileged users, but needs to be readable as this information is used with many nonprivileged programs.
Audit Procedure
Using Command Line
Run the following command to determine the user and group ownership on the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file:
/bin/ls -l /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Expected Result
-rw------- 1 root root 762 Sep 23 002 /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Remediation
Using Command Line
If the user and group ownership of the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file are incorrect, run the following command to correct them:
chown root:root /etc/ssh/sshd_config
If the permissions are incorrect, run the following command to correct them:
chmod 600 /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Default Value
The default ownership is root:root with permissions 644.
References
- CIS Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server Benchmark v1.1.0
Profile
Level 1 - Scored