Root is the user account that by default has access to all commands and files on a Linux or other Unix-like operating system. It is also referred to as the root account, root user and the superuser. It's recommended to set strong passwords for root accounts to prevent unauthorized users from accessing it. Even if you have configured nologin option for root user to prevent anyone from logging in as root user, the single user mode logs in as root user. Single user mode is used for recovery when the system detects an issue during boot or by manual selection from the bootloader. Configuring password for root account requires authentication in single user mode and prevents an unauthorized user from rebooting the system into single user to gain root privileges without credentials.
Severity
critical
Category
Linux - User Account Management
Resolution
Follow the below steps to resolve the misconfiguration.
Run the following command and follow the prompts to set a password for the root user:
passwd root
Potential issues that may arise after applying the resolution
Altering the existing security setting may create the following impact in your network operations.
Does remediation require reboot?
No
Vulnerability Manager Plus tracks security configurations and remediate misconfigurations in your network systems from a centralized console. View a list of all the security misconfigurations detected by Vulnerability Manager Plus.
