# Ensure no duplicate group names exist

Necessity: The existence of duplicate group names in the `/etc/group` file indicates a critical system configuration error. This ambiguity can lead to unpredictable and inconsistent access control behavior. Different system processes or applications might read different entries for the same group name, resulting in users being granted incorrect permissions or being denied legitimate access. This can compromise system security by creating unintended privilege escalation paths or causing denial-of-service conditions.

Auditing and Remediation: The audit script checks for configuration integrity by parsing the `/etc/group` file and identifying any group names that are defined more than once. The remediation script corrects this inconsistency by removing the duplicate entries. It follows a deterministic rule, keeping the first instance of a group definition and deleting subsequent ones, thereby restoring a valid and predictable state to the group database.

Recommended State Rationale: There is no acceptable scenario for having duplicate group names on a system. The integrity of the user and group database is fundamental to system security and operation. Therefore, the only recommended state across all security levels (Basic, Moderate, and Strict) is 'Compliant', which signifies that no duplicate group names exist. Any deviation from this state presents a significant security and operational risk that must be remediated immediately.

## Recommended State Configuration

| Security Level | Value |
|----------------|-------|
| **Basic** | `['Compliant']` |
| **Moderate** | `['Compliant']` |
| **Strict** | `['Compliant']` |
| **Type** | `ENUM` |

## Audit Script Working

Bash script that reads the first field (group name) from each line of the `/etc/group` file. The script must count the occurrences of each group name and return a single, space-separated string of any group names that appear more than once. If no duplicates exist, the script must return an empty string. The output must not contain any extra text or formatting.

## Remediation Script Working

Bash script that does not accept any arguments, as the target state is always the absence of duplicates. The script must identify all duplicate group names in `/etc/group`. It should then automatically consolidate entries for each duplicate name by keeping only the first entry found in the file and discarding all subsequent entries for that same name. The script must create a timestamped backup of the original `/etc/group` file before making any modifications. The script must return `true` on successful consolidation or if no duplicates were found, and `false` if an error occurs during the backup or file modification process.

