How to find files with specific permissions?

You may need to find files with specific permissions in a Linux server for audit and security reasons. You can use the Linux find command to achieve this task.

• The following command can be used to find files with (group or other or both) writable permission and SET UID set.

# find / -perm /022 -and -perm -4000 -exec ls -ldb {} ;
                        ^^^^                       ^
                        | | | |                           |– So the SUID is 4
                        | | | |– Other is writable (2)
                        | | |–Group permission is writable (2)
                        | |– No owner permission mentioned (0)
                       |– As the logic is OR – group or other or both

• You can use the following command to list files with other writable excluding sticky bit sets.

# find / -perm -002 -and -perm -1000 -exec ls -ldb {} ;

• Use the following command to list files with other writable excluding sticky bit set.

# find / -perm -002 -not -perm -1000 -exec ls -ldb {} ;

• The following command can be used to list files with (group + other) writable and SET GID set.

# find / -perm -2022 -exec ls -ldb {} ;

• The Find command to list files with (group + other) writable permission and SET UID set.

# find / -perm -4022 -exec ls -ldb {} ;

• Command to list files with other writable and sticky bit sets.

# find / -perm -1002 -exec ls -ldb {} ;

• Command to list files with other writable excluding sticky bit set.

# find / -perm -002 -not -perm -1000 -exec ls -ldb {} ;