documentation_complete: true

title: 'Verify Permissions on Files with Local Account Information and Credentials'

description: |-
    The default restrictive permissions for files which act as important security databases such as <tt>passwd</tt>, <tt>shadow</tt>, <tt>group</tt>, and <tt>gshadow</tt> files must be maintained.
    Many utilities need read access to the <tt>passwd</tt> file in order to function properly, but read access to the <tt>shadow</tt> file allows malicious attacks against system passwords, and should never be enabled.
