6.2.12 Ensure no users have .netrc files

Information

The .netrc file contains data for logging into a remote host for file transfers via FTP.

Rationale:

The .netrc file presents a significant security risk since it stores passwords in unencrypted form. Even if FTP is disabled, user accounts may have brought over .netrc files from other systems which could pose a risk to those systems.

Solution

Making global modifications to users' files without alerting the user community can result in unexpected outages and unhappy users. Therefore, it is recommended that a monitoring policy be established to report user .netrc files and determine the action to be taken in accordance with site policy.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3399

Item Details

Category: CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, SYSTEM AND SERVICES ACQUISITION

References: 800-53|CM-2, 800-53|CM-6, 800-53|CM-7, 800-53|CM-7(1), 800-53|CM-9, 800-53|SA-3, 800-53|SA-8, 800-53|SA-10, CSCv6|16.14, CSCv7|16.4

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 560fb18eb0010a91dd6672c21bfe5871d7a389f16414d2aaa4ef0639cf18f735