AlmaLinux OS 9 SSH private host key files must have mode 0640 or less permissive.

Severity
Group ID
Group Title
Version
Rule ID
Date
STIG Version
mediumV-269265SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227ALMA-09-020920SV-269265r1050147_rule2025-02-201
Description
If an unauthorized user obtains the private SSH host key file, the host could be impersonated.
ℹ️ Check
Verify the SSH private host key files have a mode of "0640" or less permissive with the following command: $ stat -c "%#a %n" /etc/ssh/ssh_host*key 0640 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key 0640 /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key If any private host key file has a mode more permissive than "0640", this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Configure the mode of SSH private host key files under "/etc/ssh" to "0640" with the following command: $ chmod 0640 /etc/ssh/ssh_host*key Restart the SSH daemon for the changes to take effect: $ systemctl restart sshd.service