---
title: Verify /boot/grub2/user.cfg Group Ownership
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Verify /boot/grub2/user.cfg Group
  Ownership
---

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.datadoghq.com/llms.txt).

# Verify /boot/grub2/user.cfg Group Ownership
 
## Description{% #description %}

The file `/boot/grub2/user.cfg` should be group-owned by the `root` group to prevent reading or modification of the file. To properly set the group owner of `/boot/grub2/user.cfg`, run the command:

```
$ sudo chgrp root /boot/grub2/user.cfg
```

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

The `root` group is a highly-privileged group. Furthermore, the group-owner of this file should not have any access privileges anyway. Non-root users who read the boot parameters may be able to identify weaknesses in security upon boot and be able to exploit them.

## Remediation{% #remediation %}

### Shell script{% #shell-script %}

The following script can be run on the host to remediate the issue.

```bash
#!/bin/bash

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if ( rpm --quiet -q grub2-common && rpm --quiet -q kernel-core ) && [ ! -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && { ( ! ( [ -f /.dockerenv ] || [ -f /run/.containerenv ] ) ); }; then

newgroup=""
if getent group "0" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  newgroup="0"
fi

if [[ -z "${newgroup}" ]]; then
  >&2 echo "0 is not a defined group on the system"
else
if ! stat -c "%g %G" "/boot/grub2/user.cfg" | grep -E -w -q "0"; then
    chgrp --no-dereference "$newgroup" /boot/grub2/user.cfg
fi

fi

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi
```

### Ansible playbook{% #ansible-playbook %}

The following playbook can be run with Ansible to remediate the issue.

```gdscript3
- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - CCE-86009-8
  - CJIS-5.5.2.2
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.5
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-7.1
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_groupowner_user_cfg
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Set the file_groupowner_user_cfg_newgroup variable if represented by gid
  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
    file_groupowner_user_cfg_newgroup: '0'
  when:
  - ( "grub2-common" in ansible_facts.packages and "kernel-core" in ansible_facts.packages
    )
  - not ('/sys/firmware/efi' is directory)
  - not ( ansible_virtualization_type in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
    )
  tags:
  - CCE-86009-8
  - CJIS-5.5.2.2
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.5
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-7.1
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_groupowner_user_cfg
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Test for existence /boot/grub2/user.cfg
  ansible.builtin.stat:
    path: /boot/grub2/user.cfg
  register: file_exists
  when:
  - ( "grub2-common" in ansible_facts.packages and "kernel-core" in ansible_facts.packages
    )
  - not ('/sys/firmware/efi' is directory)
  - not ( ansible_virtualization_type in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
    )
  tags:
  - CCE-86009-8
  - CJIS-5.5.2.2
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.5
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-7.1
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_groupowner_user_cfg
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Ensure group owner on /boot/grub2/user.cfg
  ansible.builtin.file:
    path: /boot/grub2/user.cfg
    follow: false
    group: '{{ file_groupowner_user_cfg_newgroup }}'
  when:
  - ( "grub2-common" in ansible_facts.packages and "kernel-core" in ansible_facts.packages
    )
  - not ('/sys/firmware/efi' is directory)
  - not ( ansible_virtualization_type in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
    )
  - file_exists.stat is defined and file_exists.stat.exists
  tags:
  - CCE-86009-8
  - CJIS-5.5.2.2
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.5
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSS-Req-7.1
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_groupowner_user_cfg
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
```