SV-35169r1: Files executed through a mail aliases file must be owned by root and must reside within a directory owned and writable only by root. | HP-UX 11.23 Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Files executed through a mail aliases file must be owned by root and must reside within a directory owned and writable only by root.

Description

Discussion Text

If a file executed through a mail aliases file is not owned and writable only by root, it may be subject to unauthorized modification. Unauthorized modification of files executed through aliases may allow unauthorized users to attain root privileges.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000225

Additional Details

Responsibility

System Administrator

IA Controls

ECLP-1

References

DPMS Target HP-UX 11.23 DISA DPMS Target HP-UX 11.23 2170

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

Assessment Script Powered by AISandbox-executed

A standalone Shell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked and actually executed in an isolated sandbox (not the real system this checks) — confirmed to run without errors.

#!/bin/sh
# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.fso.hpux11:def:260
aliases=$(<"/etc/mail/aliases")
if [ -z "$aliases" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if echo "$aliases" | grep -q "^[^#]*\"?[|]([^, \t\n\r]+)/"; then file="/etc/mail/$(echo "$aliases" | sed -n's/^[^#]*\"?[|]\([^, \t\n\r]*\)\/$/\1/p')"; else file=""; fi
if [ -n "$file" ]; then dirname=$(dirname "$file"); fi
if [ ! -d "$dirname" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -d "/etc/mail" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -r "/etc/mail" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -w "/etc/mail" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -r "$file" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -w "$file" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -r "$dirname" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ ! -w "$dirname" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if [ "$(stat -c '%U' "/etc/mail")" != "root" ]; then echo "FAIL"; exit 1; fi
if [ "$(stat -c '%U' "$file")" != "root" ]; then echo "FAIL"; exit 1; fi
if [ "$(stat -c '%a' "$dirname")" -lt 700 ]; then echo "FAIL"; exit 1; fi
echo "PASS"; exit 0

Remediation

Edit the /etc/mail/aliases file Locate the entries executing a program. 
They will appear similar to the following line:

alias: "|/usr/local/bin/ls" (or some other program name)

Ensure root owns the programs and the directory(ies) they reside in by using the chown command to change owner to root.
For a directory entry:
# chown root <entry>

For a file entry (change BOTH the directory and file, where/as necessary:
# chown root <entry>
# chown root `dirname <entry>`