Ensure Home Folders Are Secure

HighLevel 1Automatedmacos

Description

By default, macOS allows all valid users into the top level of every other user's home folder and restricts access to the Apple default folders within. Another user on the same system can see you have a "Documents" folder but cannot see inside it. This configuration does work for personal file sharing but can expose user files to standard accounts on the system. Audit: Counts home folders under /System/Volumes/Data/Users not set to 700 (710/711 are accepted, per the benchmark alternative).

How it is checked

Audit method: Shell command

shell

out=$(/usr/bin/find /System/Volumes/Data/Users -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -not -perm 700 -not -perm 710 -not -perm 711 2>/dev/null) || exit 1
printf '%s\n' "$out" | /usr/bin/grep -v "Shared" | /usr/bin/grep -v "Guest" | /usr/bin/grep -c . || true

Expected output: 0

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Terminal: sudo /bin/chmod -R og-rwx /Users/<username> Alternately, run the following command if there needs to be executable access for a home folder: ; sudo /bin/chmod -R og-rw /Users/<username> ; sudo /bin/chmod -R og-rw /Users/firstuser/.

Properties

Operating systems: macos-26
Tags: macossystem-access
Reference: CIS Apple macOS 26 Tahoe Benchmark v1.1.0 - 5.1.1 Ensure Home Folders Are Secure

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target macos