---
title: The docker.service file ownership and group should be set to root
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > OOTB Rules > The docker.service file ownership and
  group should be set to root
---

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

# The docker.service file ownership and group should be set to root
Classification:complianceFramework:cis-dockerControl:3.1 
## Description{% #description %}

The `docker.service` unit file should be owned by user root and group root.

## Rationale{% #rationale %}

The `docker.service` unit sets the command line and the environment of the Docker daemon. Its owner can change it, so the owner and group should be root only.

## Audit{% #audit %}

Find the unit file that systemd uses, then show its owner and group:

```bash
systemctl show -p FragmentPath docker.service
stat -c '%U:%G' /usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service
```

Datadog checks `docker.service` in `/etc/systemd/system`, `/run/systemd/system`, `/usr/local/lib/systemd/system`, `/usr/lib/systemd/system`, or `/lib/systemd/system`. It passes the rule when every copy found belongs to root:root, fails it when one belongs to another user or group, and reports it not applicable when there is none.

## Remediation{% #remediation %}

Set the owner and group of the unit file that systemd uses:

```bash
chown root:root /usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service
```

## Impact{% #impact %}

None.

## Default value{% #default-value %}

The Docker packages install the unit files in `/usr/lib/systemd/system` with owner root:root and mode 644.