SV-37516r1: The at.deny file must not be empty if it exists. | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Security Technical Implementation Guide

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

The at.deny file must not be empty if it exists.

Description

Discussion Text

On some systems, if there is no at.allow file and there is an empty at.deny file, then the system assumes everyone has permission to use the "at" facility. This could create an insecure setting in the case of malicious users or system intruders.

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 Red Hat 5 DISA DPMS Target Red Hat 5 2154

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.

#!/bin/bash
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.fso.rhel11:def:211
# The at.deny file must not be empty if it exists.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# /etc/at.deny does not exist
# file_object (file_test)
test_1() {
  test -e '/etc/at.deny' &>/dev/null
}
# check /etc/at.deny file contents
# textfilecontent54_object (textfilecontent54_test)
test_2() {
  grep -Pq '^([^ 	

]+)[ 	

]*$' '/etc/at.deny' &>/dev/null
}

if ( test_1 || test_2 ); then
  echo "PASS"
else
  echo "FAIL"
fi

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.rhel11:def:211
if [ ! -f "/etc/at.deny" ]; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
if grep -q "^[^ \t\n\r]+[ \t\n\r]*$" /etc/at.deny; then echo "PASS"; exit 0; fi
echo "FAIL"; exit 1

Remediation

Add appropriate users to the at.deny file, or remove the empty at.deny file if an at.allow file exists.