---
title: Verify Owner on crontab
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > Verify Owner on crontab
---

# Verify Owner on crontab
 
## Description{% #description %}

To properly set the owner of `/etc/crontab`, run the command:

```
$ sudo chown root /etc/crontab 
```

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

Service configuration files enable or disable features of their respective services that if configured incorrectly can lead to insecure and vulnerable configurations. Therefore, service configuration files should be owned by the correct user to prevent unauthorized changes.

## 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 dpkg-query --show --showformat='${db:Status-Status}' 'linux-base' 2>/dev/null | grep -q '^installed$'; then

if id "0" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  newown="0"
fi
if [[ -z ${newown} ]]; then
  echo "0 is not a defined user on the system"
  exit 1
fi
chown $newown /etc/crontab

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:
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_owner_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Set the file_owner_crontab_newown variable if represented by uid
  set_fact:
    file_owner_crontab_newown: '0'
  when: '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_owner_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Test for existence /etc/crontab
  stat:
    path: /etc/crontab
  register: file_exists
  when: '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_owner_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed

- name: Ensure owner on /etc/crontab
  file:
    path: /etc/crontab
    owner: '{{ file_owner_crontab_newown }}'
  when:
  - '"linux-base" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - file_exists.stat is defined and file_exists.stat.exists
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2
  - PCI-DSSv4-2.2.6
  - configure_strategy
  - file_owner_crontab
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
```