CCE ID | Rule Title | Description | Rationale | Variable Setting | NIST 800-53 Mapping |
CCE-27293-0 | Set Password Minimum Length | The pam_pwquality module's minlen parameter controls requirements for
minimum characters required in a password. Add minlen=
after pam_pwquality to set minimum password length requirements.
|
The shorter the password, the lower the number of possible combinations
that need to be tested before the password is compromised.
Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password length is one factor of several that helps to determine strength and how long it takes to crack a password. Use of more characters in a password helps to exponentially increase the time and/or resources required to compromose the password. |
IA-5(1)(a) |
|
CCE-27360-7 | Set Password Strength Minimum Special Characters | The pam_pwquality module's ocredit= parameter controls requirements for
usage of special (or "other") characters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be
required to contain that many special characters. When set to a positive number, pam_pwquality will grant +1
additional length credit for each special character. Modify the ocredit setting in
/etc/security/pwquality.conf to equal to require use of a special character in passwords.
|
Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possble combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Requiring a minimum number of special characters makes password guessing attacks more difficult by ensuring a larger search space. | IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(a) |
|
CCE-27214-6 | Set Password Strength Minimum Digit Characters | The pam_pwquality module's dcredit parameter controls requirements for
usage of digits in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to
contain that many digits. When set to a positive number, pam_pwquality will grant +1 additional
length credit for each digit. Modify the dcredit setting in
/etc/security/pwquality.conf to require the use of a digit in passwords.
|
Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possble combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Requiring digits makes password guessing attacks more difficult by ensuring a larger search space. | IA-5(1)(a) IA-5(b) IA-5(c) 194 |
|
CCE-27200-5 | Set Password Strength Minimum Uppercase Characters | The pam_pwquality module's ucredit= parameter controls requirements for
usage of uppercase letters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to
contain that many uppercase characters. When set to a positive number, pam_pwquality will grant +1 additional
length credit for each uppercase character. Modify the ucredit setting in
/etc/security/pwquality.conf to require the use of an uppercase character in passwords.
|
Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources reuiqred to compromise the password.
Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts
at guessing and brute-force attacks.
Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possible combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. |
IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(a) |
|
CCE-27345-8 | Set Password Strength Minimum Lowercase Characters | The pam_pwquality module's lcredit parameter controls requirements for
usage of lowercase letters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to
contain that many lowercase characters. When set to a positive number, pam_pwquality will grant +1 additional
length credit for each lowercase character. Modify the lcredit setting in
/etc/security/pwquality.conf to require the use of a lowercase character in passwords.
|
Use of a complex password helps to increase the time and resources required to compromise the password. Password complexity, or strength, is a measure of the effectiveness of a password in resisting attempts at guessing and brute-force attacks. Password complexity is one factor of several that determines how long it takes to crack a password. The more complex the password, the greater the number of possble combinations that need to be tested before the password is compromised. Requiring a minimum number of lowercase characters makes password guessing attacks more difficult by ensuring a larger search space. | IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(a) |
|
CCE-27351-6 | Install the screen Package |
To enable console screen locking, install the screen package:
$ sudo yum install screenInstruct users to begin new terminal sessions with the following command: $ screenThe console can now be locked with the following key combination: ctrl+a x |
A session time-out lock is a temporary action taken when a user stops work and moves away from the immediate
physical vicinity of the information system but des not logout because of the temporary nature of the absence.
Rather than relying on the user to manually lock their operation system session prior to vacating the vicinity,
operating systems need to be able to identify when a user's session has idled and take action to initiate the
session lock.
The screen package allows for a session lock to be implemented and configured.
|
AC-11(a) |
|
CCE-27433-2 | Set SSH Idle Timeout Interval | SSH allows administrators to set an idle timeout
interval.
After this interval has passed, the idle user will be
automatically logged out.
To set an idle timeout interval, edit the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config as
follows:
ClientAliveInterval intervalThe timeout interval is given in seconds. To have a timeout of 10 minutes, set interval to 600. If a shorter timeout has already been set for the login shell, that value will preempt any SSH setting made here. Keep in mind that some processes may stop SSH from correctly detecting that the user is idle. |
Terminating an idle ssh session within a short time period reduces the window of opportunity for unauthorized personnel to take control of a management session enabled on the console or console port that has been let unattended. | AC-2(5) SA-8(i) AC-12 |
|
CCE-27352-4 | Verify All Account Password Hashes are Shadowed |
If any password hashes are stored in /etc/passwd (in the second field,
instead of an x ), the cause of this misconfiguration should be
investigated. The account should have its password reset and the hash should be
properly stored, or the account should be deleted entirely.
|
The hashes for all user account passwords should be stored in
the file /etc/shadow and never in /etc/passwd ,
which is readable by all users.
|
IA-5(h) |
|
CCE-27286-4 | Prevent Log In to Accounts With Empty Password | If an account is configured for password authentication
but does not have an assigned password, it may be possible to log
into the account without authentication. Remove any instances of the nullok
option in /etc/pam.d/system-auth to
prevent logins with empty passwords.
|
If an account has an empty password, anyone could log in and run commands with the privileges of that account. Accounts with empty passwords should never be used in operational environments. | AC-6 IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(a) |
|
CCE-27309-4 | Set Boot Loader Password | The grub2 boot loader should have a superuser account and password
protection enabled to protect boot-time settings.
To do so, select a superuser account and password and add them into the appropriate grub2 configuration file(s) under /etc/grub.d .
Since plaintext passwords are a security risk, generate a hash for the pasword
by running the following command:
$ grub2-mkpasswd-pbkdf2When prompted, enter the password that was selected and insert the returned password hash into the appropriate grub2 configuration file(s) under /etc/grub.d immediately after the superuser account.
(Use the output from grub2-mkpasswd-pbkdf2 as the value of
password-hash):
password_pbkdf2 superusers-account password-hashNOTE: It is recommended not to use common administrator account names like root, admin, or administrator for the grub2 superuser account. To meet FISMA Moderate, the bootloader superuser account and password MUST differ from the root account and password. Once the superuser account and password have been added, update the grub.cfg file by running:
grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfgNOTE: Do NOT manually add the superuser account and password to the grub.cfg file as the grub2-mkconfig command overwrites this file.
|
Password protection on the boot loader configuration ensures
users with physical access cannot trivially alter
important bootloader settings. These include which kernel to use,
and whether to enter single-user mode. For more information on how to configure
the grub2 superuser account and password, please refer to
|
IA-2(1) IA-5(e) AC-3 |
|
CCE-27287-2 | Require Authentication for Single User Mode | Single-user mode is intended as a system recovery
method, providing a single user root access to the system by
providing a boot option at startup. By default, no authentication
is performed if single-user mode is selected.
By default, single-user mode is protected by requiring a password and is set in /usr/lib/systemd/system/rescue.service .
|
This prevents attackers with physical access from trivially bypassing security on the machine and gaining root access. Such accesses are further prevented by configuring the bootloader password. | IA-2(1) AC-3 |
|
CCE-27335-9 | Verify that Interactive Boot is Disabled |
Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems support an "interactive boot" option that can
be used to prevent services from being started. On a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
system, interactive boot can be enabled by providing a 1 ,
yes , true , or on value to the
systemd.confirm_spawn kernel argument in /etc/default/grub .
Remove any instance of systemd.confirm_spawn=(1|yes|true|on)from the kernel arguments in that file to disable interactive boot. |
Using interactive boot, the console user could disable auditing, firewalls, or other services, weakening system security. | SC-2 AC-3 |
|
CCE-80206-6 | Disable debug-shell SystemD Service | SystemD's debug-shell service is intended to
diagnose SystemD related boot issues with various systemctl
commands. Once enabled and following a system reboot, the root shell
will be available on tty9 which is access by pressing
CTRL-ALT-F9 . The debug-shell service should only be used
for SystemD related issues and should otherwise be disabled.
By default, the debug-shell SystemD service is disabled.
The debug-shell service can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable debug-shell.service |
This prevents attackers with physical access from trivially bypassing security on the machine through valid troubleshooting configurations and gaining root access when the system is rebooted. | ||
CCE-27294-8 | Direct root Logins Not Allowed | To further limit access to the root account, administrators
can disable root logins at the console by editing the /etc/securetty file.
This file lists all devices the root user is allowed to login to. If the file does
not exist at all, the root user can login through any communication device on the
system, whether via the console or via a raw network interface. This is dangerous
as user can login to his machine as root via Telnet, which sends the password in
plain text over the network. By default, Red Hat Enteprise Linux's
/etc/securetty file only allows the root user to login at the console
physically attached to the machine. To prevent root from logging in, remove the
contents of this file. To prevent direct root logins, remove the contents of this
file by typing the following command:
$ sudo echo > /etc/securetty |
Disabling direct root logins ensures proper accountability and multifactor authentication to privileged accounts. Users will first login, then escalate to privileged (root) access via su / sudo. This is required for FISMA Low and FISMA Moderate systems. | IA-2(1) |
|
CCE-27318-5 | Restrict Virtual Console Root Logins |
To restrict root logins through the (deprecated) virtual console devices,
ensure lines of this form do not appear in /etc/securetty :
vc/1 vc/2 vc/3 vc/4 |
Preventing direct root login to virtual console devices helps ensure accountability for actions taken on the system using the root account. | AC-6(2) |
|
CCE-27268-2 | Restrict Serial Port Root Logins | To restrict root logins on serial ports,
ensure lines of this form do not appear in /etc/securetty :
ttyS0 ttyS1 |
Preventing direct root login to serial port interfaces helps ensure accountability for actions taken on the systems using the root account. | AC-6(2) |
|
CCE-27445-6 | Disable SSH Root Login | The root user should never be allowed to login to a
system directly over a network.
To disable root login via SSH, add or correct the following line
in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :
PermitRootLogin no |
Even though the communications channel may be encrypted, an additional layer of security is gained by extending the policy of not logging directly on as root. In addition, logging in with a user-specific account provides individual accountability of actions performed on the system and also helps to minimize direct attack attempts on root's password. | AC-3 AC-6(2) IA-2(1) IA-2(5) |
|
CCE-27471-2 | Disable SSH Access via Empty Passwords | To explicitly disallow SSH login from accounts with
empty passwords, add or correct the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :
PermitEmptyPasswords no Any accounts with empty passwords should be disabled immediately, and PAM configuration should prevent users from being able to assign themselves empty passwords. |
Configuring this setting for the SSH daemon provides additional assurance that remote login via SSH will require a password, even in the event of misconfiguration elsewhere. | AC-3 CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27194-0 | Assign Password to Prevent Changes to Boot Firmware Configuration | Assign a password to the system boot firmware (historically called BIOS on PC systems) to require a password for any configuration changes. | Assigning a password to the system boot firmware prevents anyone with physical access from configuring the system to boot from local media and circumvent the operating system's access controls. For systems in physically secure locations, such as a data center or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), this risk must be weighed against the risk of administrative personnel being unable to conduct recovery operations in a timely fashion. | ||
CCE-27160-1 | Set Password Retry Prompts Permitted Per-Session | To configure the number of retry prompts that are permitted per-session:
Edit the pam_pwquality.so statement in /etc/pam.d/system-auth to
show retry= , or a lower value if site policy is more restrictive.
The DoD requirement is a maximum of 3 prompts per session. |
Setting the password retry prompts that are permitted on a per-session basis to a low value requires some software, such as SSH, to re-connect. This can slow down and draw additional attention to some types of password-guessing attacks. Note that this is different from account lockout, which is provided by the pam_faillock module. | CM-6(b) IA-5(c) |
|
CCE-27350-8 | Set Deny For Failed Password Attempts |
To configure the system to lock out accounts after a number of incorrect login
attempts using pam_faillock.so , modify the content of both
/etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth as follows:
|
Locking out user accounts after a number of incorrect attempts prevents direct password guessing attacks. | AC-7(b) |
|
CCE-26884-7 | Set Lockout Time For Failed Password Attempts |
To configure the system to lock out accounts after a number of incorrect login
attempts and require an administrator to unlock the account using pam_faillock.so ,
modify the content of both /etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth as follows:
|
Locking out user accounts after a number of incorrect attempts prevents direct password guessing attacks. Ensuring that an administrator is involved in unlocking locked accounts draws appropriate attention to such situations. | AC-7(b) |
|
CCE-27297-1 | Set Interval For Counting Failed Password Attempts |
Utilizing pam_faillock.so , the fail_interval directive configures the system to lock out accounts after a number of incorrect login
attempts. Modify the content of both /etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth as follows:
|
Locking out user accounts after a number of incorrect attempts within a specific period of time prevents direct password guessing attacks. | AC-7(a) |
|
CCE-27361-5 | Verify firewalld Enabled |
The firewalld service can be enabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl enable firewalld.service |
Access control methods provide the ability to enhance system security posture by restricting services and known good IP addresses and address ranges. This prevents connections from unknown hosts and protocols. | CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27349-0 | Set Default firewalld Zone for Incoming Packets | To set the default zone to drop for
the built-in default zone which processes incoming IPv4 and IPv6 packets,
modify the following line in
/etc/firewalld/firewalld.conf to be:
DefaultZone=drop |
In firewalld the default zone is applied only after all
the applicable rules in the table are examined for a match. Setting the
default zone to drop implements proper design for a firewall, i.e.
any packets which are not explicitly permitted should not be
accepted. |
CM-7 |
|
CCE-80162-1 | Configure Kernel Parameter for Accepting Source-Routed Packets By Default |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_source_route kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_source_route=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_source_route = 0 |
Source-routed packates allow the source of the packet to suggest routers
forward the packet along a different path than configured on the router, which can
be used to bypass network security measures.
Accepting source-routed packets in the IPv4 protocol has few legitimate uses. It should be disabled unless it is absolutely required, such as when IPv4 forwarding is enabled and the system is legitimately functioning as a router. |
AC-4 CM-7 SC-5 SC-7 |
|
CCE-27495-1 | Configure Kernel Parameter to Use TCP Syncookies |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1 |
A TCP SYN flood attack can cause a denial of service by filling a system's TCP connection table with connections in the SYN_RCVD state. Syncookies can be used to track a connection when a subsequent ACK is received, verifying the initiator is attempting a valid connection and is not a flood source. This feature is activated when a flood condition is detected, and enables the system to continue servicing valid connection requests. | AC-4 SC-5(1)(2) SC-5(2) SC-5(3) |
|
CCE-80156-3 | Disable Kernel Parameter for Sending ICMP Redirects for All Interfaces |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.conf.all.send_redirects = 0 |
ICMP redirect messages are used by routers to inform hosts that a more
direct route exists for a particular destination. These messages contain information
from the system's route table possibly revealing portions of the network topology.
The ability to send ICMP redirects is only appropriate for systems acting as routers. |
CM-7 SC-5(1) |
|
CCE-80156-3 | Disable Kernel Parameter for Sending ICMP Redirects by Default |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.conf.default.send_redirects = 0 |
ICMP redirect messages are used by routers to inform hosts that a more
direct route exists for a particular destination. These messages contain information
from the system's route table possibly revealing portions of the network topology.
The ability to send ICMP redirects is only appropriate for systems acting as routers. |
AC-4 CM-7 SC-5 SC-7 |
|
CCE-80158-9 | Configure Kernel Parameter for Accepting ICMP Redirects for All Interfaces |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.conf.all.accept_redirects = 0 |
ICMP redirect messages are used by routers to inform hosts that a more direct
route exists for a particular destination. These messages modify the host's route table
and are unauthenticated. An illicit ICMP redirect message could result in a man-in-the-middle
attack.
This feature of the IPv4 protocol has few legitimate uses. It should be disabled unless absolutely required. |
CM-7 SC-5 |
|
CCE-80163-9 | Configure Kernel Parameter for Accepting ICMP Redirects By Default |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_redirects kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_redirects=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.conf.default.accept_redirects = 0 |
ICMP redirect messages are used by routers to inform hosts that a more direct
route exists for a particular destination. These messages modify the host's route table
and are unauthenticated. An illicit ICMP redirect message could result in a man-in-the-middle
attack.
This feature of the IPv4 protocol has few legitimate uses. It should be disabled unless absolutely required. |
AC-4 CM-7 SC-5 SC-7 |
|
CCE-80165-4 | Configure Kernel Parameter to Ignore ICMP Broadcast Echo Requests |
To set the runtime status of the net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts=1If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts = 1 |
Responding to broadcast (ICMP) echoes facilitates network mapping
and provides a vector for amplification attacks.
Ignoring ICMP echo requests (pings) sent to broadcast or multicast addresses makes the system slightly more difficult to enumerate on the network. |
AC-4 CM-7 SC-5 |
|
CCE-27343-3 | Ensure Logs Sent To Remote Host |
To configure rsyslog to send logs to a remote log server,
open /etc/rsyslog.conf and read and understand the last section of the file,
which describes the multiple directives necessary to activate remote
logging.
Along with these other directives, the system can be configured
to forward its logs to a particular log server by
adding or correcting one of the following lines,
substituting loghost.example.com appropriately.
The choice of protocol depends on the environment of the system;
although TCP and RELP provide more reliable message delivery,
they may not be supported in all environments.
To use UDP for log message delivery: *.* @loghost.example.com To use TCP for log message delivery: *.* @@loghost.example.com To use RELP for log message delivery: *.* :omrelp:loghost.example.com |
A log server (loghost) receives syslog messages from one or more systems. This data can be used as an additional log source in the event a system is compromised and its local logs are suspect. Forwarding log messages to a remote loghost also provides system administrators with a centralized place to view the status of multiple hosts within the enterprise. | AU-3(2) AU-4(1) AU-9 |
|
CCE-27341-7 | Configure auditd to use audispd's syslog plugin | To configure the auditd service to use the
syslog plug-in of the audispd audit event multiplexor, set
the active line in /etc/audisp/plugins.d/syslog.conf to
yes . Restart the auditd service:
$ sudo service auditd restart |
The auditd service does not include the ability to send audit records to a centralized server for management directly. It does, however, include a plug-in for audit event multiplexor (audispd) to pass audit records to the local syslog server | AU-1(b) AU-3(2) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27348-2 | Configure auditd Number of Logs Retained | Determine how many log files
auditd should retain when it rotates logs.
Edit the file /etc/audit/auditd.conf . Add or modify the following
line, substituting NUMLOGS with the correct value of :
num_logs = NUMLOGSSet the value to 5 for general-purpose systems. Note that values less than 2 result in no log rotation. |
The total storage for audit log files must be large enough to retain log information over the period required. This is a function of the maximum log file size and the number of logs retained. | AU-1(b) AU-11 IR-5 |
|
CCE-27319-3 | Configure auditd Max Log File Size | Determine the amount of audit data (in megabytes)
which should be retained in each log file. Edit the file
/etc/audit/auditd.conf . Add or modify the following line, substituting
the correct value of for STOREMB:
max_log_file = STOREMBSet the value to 6 (MB) or higher for general-purpose systems.
Larger values, of course,
support retention of even more audit data. |
The total storage for audit log files must be large enough to retain log information over the period required. This is a function of the maximum log file size and the number of logs retained. | AU-1(b) AU-11 IR-5 |
|
CCE-27231-0 | Configure auditd max_log_file_action Upon Reaching Maximum Log Size | The default action to take when the logs reach their maximum size
is to rotate the log files, discarding the oldest one. To configure the action taken
by auditd , add or correct the line in /etc/audit/auditd.conf :
max_log_file_action = ACTIONPossible values for ACTION are described in the auditd.conf man
page. These include:
ACTION to rotate to ensure log rotation
occurs. This is the default. The setting is case-insensitive.
|
Automatically rotating logs (by setting this to rotate )
minimizes the chances of the system unexpectedly running out of disk space by
being overwhelmed with log data. However, for systems that must never discard
log data, or which use external processes to transfer it and reclaim space,
keep_logs can be employed. |
AU-1(b) AU-4 AU-11 IR-5 |
|
CCE-27375-5 | Configure auditd space_left Action on Low Disk Space | The auditd service can be configured to take an action
when disk space starts to run low.
Edit the file /etc/audit/auditd.conf . Modify the following line,
substituting ACTION appropriately:
space_left_action = ACTIONPossible values for ACTION are described in the auditd.conf man page.
These include:
email (instead of the default,
which is suspend ) as it is more likely to get prompt attention. Acceptable values
also include suspend , single , and halt .
|
Notifying administrators of an impending disk space problem may allow them to take corrective action prior to any disruption. | AU-1(b) AU-4 AU-5(b) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27370-6 | Configure auditd admin_space_left Action on Low Disk Space | The auditd service can be configured to take an action
when disk space is running low but prior to running out of space completely.
Edit the file /etc/audit/auditd.conf . Add or modify the following line,
substituting ACTION appropriately:
admin_space_left_action = ACTIONSet this value to single to cause the system to switch to single user
mode for corrective action. Acceptable values also include suspend and
halt . For certain systems, the need for availability
outweighs the need to log all actions, and a different setting should be
determined. Details regarding all possible values for ACTION are described in the
auditd.conf man page.
|
Administrators should be made aware of an inability to record audit records. If a separate partition or logical volume of adequate size is used, running low on space for audit records should never occur. | AU-1(b) AU-4 AU-5(b) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27394-6 | Configure auditd mail_acct Action on Low Disk Space | The auditd service can be configured to send email to
a designated account in certain situations. Add or correct the following line
in /etc/audit/auditd.conf to ensure that administrators are notified
via email for those situations:
action_mail_acct = |
Email sent to the root account is typically aliased to the administrators of the system, who can take appropriate action. | AU-1(b) AU-4 AU-5(a) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27205-4 | System Audit Logs Must Have Mode 0640 or Less Permissive |
If log_group in /etc/audit/auditd.conf is set to a group other than the root
group account, change the mode of the audit log files with the following command:
$ sudo chmod 0640 audit_file Otherwise, change the mode of the audit log files with the following command: $ sudo chmod 0600 audit_file |
If users can write to audit logs, audit trails can be modified or destroyed. | AC-6 AU-1(b) AU-9 IR-5 |
|
CCE-27407-6 | Enable auditd Service | The auditd service is an essential userspace component of
the Linux Auditing System, as it is responsible for writing audit records to
disk.
The auditd service can be enabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl enable auditd.service |
Without establishing what type of events occurred, it would be difficult
to establish, correlate, and investigate the events leading up to an outage or attack.
Ensuring the auditd service is active ensures audit records
generated by the kernel are appropriately recorded.
|
AU-3 AC-17(1) AU-1(b) AU-10 AU-12(a) AU-12(c) AU-14(1) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27212-0 | Enable Auditing for Processes Which Start Prior to the Audit Daemon | To ensure all processes can be audited, even those which start
prior to the audit daemon, add the argument audit=1 to the default
GRUB 2 command line for the Linux operating system in
/etc/default/grub , in the manner below:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="crashkernel=auto rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/LogVol06 rd.lvm.lv=VolGroup/lv_swap rhgb quiet rd.shell=0 audit=1" |
Each process on the system carries an "auditable" flag which indicates whether
its activities can be audited. Although auditd takes care of enabling
this for all processes which launch after it does, adding the kernel argument
ensures it is set for every process during boot.
|
AC-17(1) AU-14(1) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-10 IR-5 |
|
CCE-27331-8 | Configure auditd flush priority | The auditd service can be configured to
synchronously write audit event data to disk. Add or correct the following
line in /etc/audit/auditd.conf to ensure that audit event data is
fully synchronized with the log files on the disk:
flush = |
Audit data should be synchronously written to disk to ensure log integrity. These parameters assure that all audit event data is fully synchronized with the log files on the disk. | AU-9 AU-12(1) |
|
CCE-27290-6 | Record attempts to alter time through adjtimex | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S adjtimex -k audit_time_rulesIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -k audit_time_rulesIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S adjtimex -k audit_time_rulesIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -k audit_time_rulesThe -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport. Multiple system calls can be defined on the same line to save space if desired, but is not required. See an example of multiple combined syscalls: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rules |
Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27216-1 | Record attempts to alter time through settimeofday | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rulesIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rulesIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rulesIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rulesThe -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport. Multiple system calls can be defined on the same line to save space if desired, but is not required. See an example of multiple combined syscalls: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rules |
Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27299-7 | Record Attempts to Alter Time Through stime | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d for both 32 bit and 64 bit systems:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S stime -k audit_time_rulesSince the 64 bit version of the "stime" system call is not defined in the audit lookup table, the corresponding "-F arch=b64" form of this rule is not expected to be defined on 64 bit systems (the aforementioned "-F arch=b32" stime rule form itself is sufficient for both 32 bit and 64 bit systems). If the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl utility to
read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file for both 32 bit and 64 bit systems:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S stime -k audit_time_rulesSince the 64 bit version of the "stime" system call is not defined in the audit lookup table, the corresponding "-F arch=b64" form of this rule is not expected to be defined on 64 bit systems (the aforementioned "-F arch=b32" stime rule form itself is sufficient for both 32 bit and 64 bit systems). The -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport. Multiple system calls can be defined on the same line to save space if desired, but is not required. See an example of multiple combined system calls: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rules |
Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27219-5 | Record Attempts to Alter Time Through clock_settime | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S clock_settime -F a0=0x0 -F key=time-changeIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S clock_settime -F a0=0x0 -F key=time-changeIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S clock_settime -F a0=0x0 -F key=time-changeIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S clock_settime -F a0=0x0 -F key=time-changeThe -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport. Multiple system calls can be defined on the same line to save space if desired, but is not required. See an example of multiple combined syscalls: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S adjtimex -S settimeofday -k audit_time_rules |
Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27310-2 | Record Attempts to Alter the localtime File | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the default),
add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the directory
/etc/audit/rules.d :
-w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rulesIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-w /etc/localtime -p wa -k audit_time_rulesThe -k option allows for the specification of a key in string form that can be used for better reporting capability through ausearch and aureport and should always be used. |
Arbitrary changes to the system time can be used to obfuscate nefarious activities in log files, as well as to confuse network services that are highly dependent upon an accurate system time (such as sshd). All changes to the system time should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(b) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27192-4 | Record Events that Modify User/Group Information | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following lines to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d , in order to capture events that modify
account changes:
-w /etc/group -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/gshadow -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/shadow -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/security/opasswd -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification If the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file, in order to capture events that modify
account changes:
-w /etc/group -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/passwd -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/gshadow -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/shadow -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification -w /etc/security/opasswd -p wa -k audit_rules_usergroup_modification |
In addition to auditing new user and group accounts, these watches will alert the system administrator(s) to any modifications. Any unexpected users, groups, or modifications should be investigated for legitimacy. | AC-2(4) AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27076-9 | Record Events that Modify the System's Network Environment | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following lines to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d , setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S sethostname -S setdomainname -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/issue -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/issue.net -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/hosts -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/sysconfig/network -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modificationIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file, setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S sethostname -S setdomainname -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/issue -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/issue.net -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/hosts -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification -w /etc/sysconfig/network -p wa -k audit_rules_networkconfig_modification |
The network environment should not be modified by anything other than administrator action. Any change to network parameters should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27168-4 | Record Events that Modify the System's Mandatory Access Controls | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-w /etc/selinux/ -p wa -k MAC-policyIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-w /etc/selinux/ -p wa -k MAC-policy |
The system's mandatory access policy (SELinux) should not be arbitrarily changed by anything other than administrator action. All changes to MAC policy should be audited. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
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CCE-27339-1 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - chmod | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to
use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup
(the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in
the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27364-9 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - chown | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to
use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup
(the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in
the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S chown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S chown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27393-8 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fchmod | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to
use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup
(the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in
the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchmod -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27388-8 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fchmodat | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to
use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup
(the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in
the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchmodat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
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CCE-27356-5 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fchown | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27387-0 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fchownat | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fchownat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27353-2 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fremovexattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27389-6 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - fsetxattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S fsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S fsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27083-5 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - lchown | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lchown -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27410-0 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - lremovexattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lremovexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27280-7 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - lsetxattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S lsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S lsetxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27367-2 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - removexattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S removexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S removexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S removexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S removexattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27213-8 | Record Events that Modify the System's Discretionary Access Controls - setxattr | At a minimum the audit system should collect file permission
changes for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following line to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S setxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_modIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following line: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S setxattr -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k perm_mod |
The changing of file permissions could indicate that a user is attempting to gain access to information that would otherwise be disallowed. Auditing DAC modifications can facilitate the identification of patterns of abuse among both authorized and unauthorized users. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27204-7 | Record Attempts to Alter Logon and Logout Events | The audit system already collects login information for all users
and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following lines to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d in order to watch for attempted manual
edits of files involved in storing logon events:
-w /var/log/tallylog -p wa -k logins -w /var/run/faillock/ -p wa -k logins -w /var/log/lastlog -p wa -k loginsIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file in order to watch for unattempted manual
edits of files involved in storing logon events:
-w /var/log/tallylog -p wa -k logins -w /var/run/faillock/ -p wa -k logins -w /var/log/lastlog -p wa -k logins |
Manual editing of these files may indicate nefarious activity, such as an attacker attempting to remove evidence of an intrusion. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27301-1 | Record Attempts to Alter Process and Session Initiation Information | The audit system already collects process information for all
users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following lines to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d in order to watch for attempted manual
edits of files involved in storing such process information:
-w /var/run/utmp -p wa -k session -w /var/log/btmp -p wa -k session -w /var/log/wtmp -p wa -k sessionIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file in order to watch for attempted manual
edits of files involved in storing such process information:
-w /var/run/utmp -p wa -k session -w /var/log/btmp -p wa -k session -w /var/log/wtmp -p wa -k session |
Manual editing of these files may indicate nefarious activity, such as an attacker attempting to remove evidence of an intrusion. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27347-4 | Ensure auditd Collects Unauthorized Access Attempts to Files (unsuccessful) | At a minimum the audit system should collect unauthorized file
accesses for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured
to use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon
startup (the default), add the following lines to a file with suffix
.rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d :
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k access -a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k accessIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following lines: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k access -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k accessIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k access -a always,exit -F arch=b32 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k accessIf the system is 64 bit then also add the following lines: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EACCES -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k access -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S creat -S open -S openat -S open_by_handle_at -S truncate -S ftruncate -F exit=-EPERM -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k access |
Unsuccessful attempts to access files could be an indicator of malicious activity on a system. Auditing these events could serve as evidence of potential system compromise. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27437-3 | Ensure auditd Collects Information on the Use of Privileged Commands | At a minimum the audit system should collect the execution of
privileged commands for all users and root. To find the relevant setuid /
setgid programs, run the following command for each local partition
PART:
$ sudo find PART -xdev -type f -perm -4000 -o -type f -perm -2000 2>/dev/nullIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the augenrules
program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the default), add a line of
the following form to a file with suffix .rules in the directory
/etc/audit/rules.d for each setuid / setgid program on the system,
replacing the SETUID_PROG_PATH part with the full path of that setuid /
setgid program in the list:
-a always,exit -F path=SETUID_PROG_PATH -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k privilegedIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add a line of the following
form to /etc/audit/audit.rules for each setuid / setgid program on the
system, replacing the SETUID_PROG_PATH part with the full path of that
setuid / setgid program in the list:
-a always,exit -F path=SETUID_PROG_PATH -F perm=x -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k privileged |
Misuse of privileged functions, either intentionally or unintentionally by
authorized users, or by unauthorized external entities that have compromised system accounts,
is a serious and ongoing concern and can have significant adverse impacts on organizations.
Auditing the use of privileged functions is one way to detect such misuse and identify
the risk from insider and advanced persistent threast.
Privileged programs are subject to escalation-of-privilege attacks, which attempt to subvert their normal role of providing some necessary but limited capability. As such, motivation exists to monitor these programs for unusual activity. |
AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-2(4) AU-6(9) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27447-2 | Ensure auditd Collects Information on Exporting to Media (successful) | At a minimum the audit system should collect media exportation
events for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to
use the augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup
(the default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in
the directory /etc/audit/rules.d , setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S mount -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k exportIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file, setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S mount -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k export |
The unauthorized exportation of data to external media could result in an information leak where classified information, Privacy Act information, and intellectual property could be lost. An audit trail should be created each time a filesystem is mounted to help identify and guard against information loss. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-3(1) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27206-2 | Ensure auditd Collects File Deletion Events by User | At a minimum the audit system should collect file deletion events
for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d , setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S rmdir -S unlink -S unlinkat -S rename -S renameat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k deleteIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file, setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as
appropriate for your system:
-a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S rmdir -S unlink -S unlinkat -S rename -S renameat -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k delete |
Auditing file deletions will create an audit trail for files that are removed from the system. The audit trail could aid in system troubleshooting, as well as, detecting malicious processes that attempt to delete log files to conceal their presence. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27461-3 | Ensure auditd Collects System Administrator Actions | At a minimum the audit system should collect administrator actions
for all users and root. If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the default),
add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the directory
/etc/audit/rules.d :
-w /etc/sudoers -p wa -k actionsIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file:
-w /etc/sudoers -p wa -k actions |
The actions taken by system administrators should be audited to keep a record of what was executed on the system, as well as, for accountability purposes. | AC-2(7)(b) AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27129-6 | Ensure auditd Collects Information on Kernel Module Loading and Unloading | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the augenrules program
to read audit rules during daemon startup (the default), add the following lines to a file
with suffix .rules in the directory /etc/audit/rules.d to capture kernel module
loading and unloading events, setting ARCH to either b32 or b64 as appropriate for your system:
-w /usr/sbin/insmod -p x -k modules -w /usr/sbin/rmmod -p x -k modules -w /usr/sbin/modprobe -p x -k modules -a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S init_module -S delete_module -k modulesIf the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl utility to read audit
rules during daemon startup, add the following lines to /etc/audit/audit.rules file
in order to capture kernel module loading and unloading events, setting ARCH to either b32 or
b64 as appropriate for your system:
-w /usr/sbin/insmod -p x -k modules -w /usr/sbin/rmmod -p x -k modules -w /usr/sbin/modprobe -p x -k modules -a always,exit -F arch=ARCH -S init_module -S delete_module -k modules |
The addition/removal of kernel modules can be used to alter the behavior of the kernel and potentially introduce malicious code into kernel space. It is important to have an audit trail of modules that have been introduced into the kernel. | AC-17(7) AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) AU-12(a) AU-12(c) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27097-5 | Make the auditd Configuration Immutable | If the auditd daemon is configured to use the
augenrules program to read audit rules during daemon startup (the
default), add the following line to a file with suffix .rules in the
directory /etc/audit/rules.d in order to make the auditd configuration
immutable:
-e 2If the auditd daemon is configured to use the auditctl
utility to read audit rules during daemon startup, add the following line to
/etc/audit/audit.rules file in order to make the auditd configuration
immutable:
-e 2With this setting, a reboot will be required to change any audit rules. |
Making the audit configuration immutable prevents accidental as well as malicious modification of the audit rules, although it may be problematic if legitimate changes are needed during system operation | AC-6 AU-1(b) AU-2(a) AU-2(c) AU-2(d) IR-5 |
|
CCE-27444-9 | Enable the NTP Daemon |
The chronyd service can be enabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl enable chronyd.serviceNote: The chronyd daemon is enabled by default.
The ntpd service can be enabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl enable ntpd.serviceNote: The ntpd daemon is not enabled by default. Though as mentioned
in the previous sections in certain environments the ntpd daemon might
be preferred to be used rather than the chronyd one. Refer to:
https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/System_Administrators_Guide/ch-Configuring_NTP_Using_the_chrony_Suite.html
for guidance which NTP daemon to choose depending on the environment used.
|
Enabling some of chronyd or ntpd services ensures
that the NTP daemon will be running and that the system will synchronize its
time to any servers specified. This is important whether the system is
configured to be a client (and synchronize only its own clock) or it is also
acting as an NTP server to other systems. Synchronizing time is essential for
authentication services such as Kerberos, but it is also important for
maintaining accurate logs and auditing possible security breaches.
The chronyd and ntpd NTP daemons offer all of the
functionality of ntpdate , which is now deprecated. Additional
information on this is available at
http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Dev/DeprecatingNtpdate |
AU-8(1) |
|
CCE-27278-1 | Specify a Remote NTP Server | Depending on specific functional requirements of a concrete
production environment, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server system can be
configured to utilize the services of the chronyd NTP daemon (the
default), or services of the ntpd NTP daemon. Refer to
https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/System_Administrators_Guide/ch-Configuring_NTP_Using_the_chrony_Suite.html
for more detailed comparison of the features of both of the choices, and for
further guidance how to choose between the two NTP daemons.
To specify a remote NTP server for time synchronization, perform the following:
server ntpserverThis instructs the NTP software to contact that remote server to obtain time data. |
Synchronizing with an NTP server makes it possible to collate system logs from multiple sources or correlate computer events with real time events. | AU-8(1) |
|
CCE-27012-4 | Specify Additional Remote NTP Servers | Depending on specific functional requirements of a concrete
production environment, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server system can be
configured to utilize the services of the chronyd NTP daemon (the
default), or services of the ntpd NTP daemon. Refer to
https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/System_Administrators_Guide/ch-Configuring_NTP_Using_the_chrony_Suite.html
for more detailed comparison of the features of both of the choices, and for
further guidance how to choose between the two NTP daemons.
Additional NTP servers can be specified for time synchronization. To do so, perform the following:
server ntpserver |
Specifying additional NTP servers increases the availability of accurate time data, in the event that one of the specified servers becomes unavailable. This is typical for a system acting as an NTP server for other systems. | AU-8(1) |
|
CCE-26895-3 | Ensure Software Patches Installed | If the system is joined to the Red Hat Network, a Red Hat Satellite Server,
or a yum server, run the following command to install updates:
$ sudo yum updateIf the system is not configured to use one of these sources, updates (in the form of RPM packages) can be manually downloaded from the Red Hat Network and installed using rpm .
|
Installing software updates is a fundamental mitigation against the exploitation of publicly-known vulnerabilities. | SI-2 MA-1(b) |
|
CCE-27397-9 | Disable WiFi or Bluetooth in BIOS | Some systems that include built-in wireless support offer the ability to disable the device through the BIOS. This is system-specific; consult your hardware manual or explore the BIOS setup during boot. | Disabling wireless support in the BIOS prevents easy activation of the wireless interface, generally requiring administrators to reboot the system first. | AC-17(8) AC-18(a) AC-18(d) AC-18(3) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27358-1 | Deactivate Wireless Network Interfaces | Deactivating wireless network interfaces should prevent
normal usage of the wireless capability.
First, identify the interfaces available with the command: $ ifconfig -aAdditionally, the following command may be used to determine whether wireless support is included for a particular interface, though this may not always be a clear indicator: $ iwconfigAfter identifying any wireless interfaces (which may have names like wlan0 , ath0 , wifi0 , em1 or
eth0 ), deactivate the interface with the command:
$ sudo ifdown interfaceThese changes will only last until the next reboot. To disable the interface for future boots, remove the appropriate interface file from /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts :
$ sudo rm /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-interface |
Wireless networking allows attackers within physical proximity to launch network-based attacks against systems, including those against local LAN protocols which were not designed with security in mind. | AC-17(8) AC-18(a) AC-18(d) AC-18(3) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27327-6 | Disable Bluetooth Kernel Modules | The kernel's module loading system can be configured to prevent
loading of the Bluetooth module. Add the following to
the appropriate /etc/modprobe.d configuration file
to prevent the loading of the Bluetooth module:
install bluetooth /bin/true |
If Bluetooth functionality must be disabled, preventing the kernel from loading the kernel module provides an additional safeguard against its activation. | AC-17(8) AC-18(a) AC-18(d) AC-18(3) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27328-4 | Disable Bluetooth Service |
The bluetooth service can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service $ sudo service bluetooth stop |
Disabling the bluetooth service prevents the system from attempting
connections to Bluetooth devices, which entails some security risk.
Nevertheless, variation in this risk decision may be expected due to the
utility of Bluetooth connectivity and its limited range. |
AC-17(8) AC-18(a) AC-18(d) AC-18(3) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27277-3 | Disable Modprobe Loading of USB Storage Driver |
To prevent USB storage devices from being used, configure the kernel module loading system
to prevent automatic loading of the USB storage driver.
To configure the system to prevent the usb-storage
kernel module from being loaded, add the following line to a file in the directory /etc/modprobe.d :
install usb-storage /bin/trueThis will prevent the modprobe program from loading the usb-storage
module, but will not prevent an administrator (or another program) from using the
insmod program to load the module manually. |
USB storage devices such as thumb drives can be used to introduce malicious software. | AC-19(a) AC-19(d) AC-19(e) IA-3 |
|
CCE-26548-8 | Disable Kernel Support for USB via Bootloader Configuration |
All USB support can be disabled by adding the nousb
argument to the kernel's boot loader configuration. To do so,
append "nousb" to the kernel line in /etc/default/grub as shown:
kernel /vmlinuz-VERSION ro vga=ext root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet nousbWARNING: Disabling all kernel support for USB will cause problems for systems with USB-based keyboards, mice, or printers. This configuration is infeasible for systems which require USB devices, which is common. |
Disabling the USB subsystem within the Linux kernel at system boot will protect against potentially malicious USB devices, although it is only practical in specialized systems. | AC-19(a) AC-19(d) AC-19(e) |
|
CCE-26960-5 | Disable Booting from USB Devices in Boot Firmware | Configure the system boot firmware (historically called BIOS on PC systems) to disallow booting from USB drives. | Booting a system from a USB device would allow an attacker to circumvent any security measures provided by the operating system. Attackers could mount partitions and modify the configuration of the OS. | AC-19(a) AC-19(d) AC-19(e) |
|
CCE-27498-5 | Disable the Automounter | The autofs daemon mounts and unmounts filesystems, such as user
home directories shared via NFS, on demand. In addition, autofs can be used to handle
removable media, and the default configuration provides the cdrom device as /misc/cd .
However, this method of providing access to removable media is not common, so autofs
can almost always be disabled if NFS is not in use. Even if NFS is required, it may be
possible to configure filesystem mounts statically by editing /etc/fstab
rather than relying on the automounter.
The autofs service can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable autofs.service |
Disabling the automounter permits the administrator to
statically control filesystem mounting through /etc/fstab .
|
AC-19(a) AC-19(d) AC-19(e) IA-3 |
|
CCE-27443-1 | Disable xinetd Service |
The xinetd service can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable xinetd.service |
The xinetd service provides a dedicated listener service for some programs, which is no longer necessary for commonly-used network services. Disabling it ensures that these uncommon services are not running, and also prevents attacks against xinetd itself. | AC-17(8) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27354-0 | Uninstall xinetd Package | The xinetd package can be uninstalled with the following command:
$ sudo yum erase xinetd |
Removing the xinetd package decreases the risk of the
xinetd service's accidental (or intentional) activation.
|
AC-17(8) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27401-9 | Disable telnet Service |
The telnet service configuration file /etc/xinetd.d/telnet
is not created automatically. If it was created manually, check the
/etc/xinetd.d/telnet file and ensure that disable = no
is changed to read disable = yes as follows below:
# description: The telnet server serves telnet sessions; it uses \\ # unencrypted username/password pairs for authentication. service telnet { flags = REUSE socket_type = stream wait = no user = root server = /usr/sbin/in.telnetd log_on_failure += USERID disable = yes }If the /etc/xinetd.d/telnet file does not exist, make sure that
the activation of the telnet service on system boot is disabled
via the following command:
The rexec socket can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable rexec.socket |
The telnet protocol uses unencrypted network communication, which means that data from the login session, including passwords and all other information transmitted during the session, can be stolen by eavesdroppers on the network. The telnet protocol is also subject to man-in-the-middle attacks. | AC-17(8) CM-7 IA-5(1)(c) |
|
CCE-27165-0 | Uninstall telnet-server Package | The telnet-server package can be uninstalled with
the following command:
$ sudo yum erase telnet-server |
It is detrimental for operating systems to provide, or install by default, functionality exceeding
requirements or mission objectives. These unnecessary capabilities are often overlooked and therefore
may remain unsecure. They increase the risk to the platform by providing additional attack vectors.
The telnet service provides an unencrypted remote access service which does not provide for the confidentiality and integrity of user passwords or the remote session. If a privileged user were to login using this service, the privileged user password could be compromised. Removing the telnet-server package decreases the risk of the telnet service's accidental
(or intentional) activation.
|
AC-17(8) CM-7(a) |
|
CCE-27305-2 | Remove telnet Clients | The telnet client allows users to start connections to other systems via the telnet protocol. | The telnet protocol is insecure and unencrypted. The use
of an unencrypted transmission medium could allow an unauthorized user
to steal credentials. The ssh package provides an
encrypted session and stronger security and is included in Red Hat
Enterprise Linux. |
||
CCE-27342-5 | Uninstall rsh-server Package | The rsh-server package can be uninstalled with
the following command:
$ sudo yum erase rsh-server |
The rsh-server service provides unencrypted remote access service which does not
provide for the confidentiality and integrity of user passwords or the remote session and has very weak
authentication. If a privileged user were to login using this service, the privileged user password
could be compromised. The rsh-server package provides several obsolete and insecure
network services. Removing it decreases the risk of those services' accidental (or intentional)
activation.
|
AC-17(8) CM-7(a) |
|
CCE-27408-4 | Disable rexec Service | The rexec service, which is available with
the rsh-server package and runs as a service through xinetd or separately
as a systemd socket, should be disabled.
If using xinetd, set disable to yes in /etc/xinetd.d/rexec .
If using systemd,
The rexec socket can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable rexec.socket |
The rexec service uses unencrypted network communications, which means that data from the login session, including passwords and all other information transmitted during the session, can be stolen by eavesdroppers on the network. | AC-17(8) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27337-5 | Disable rsh Service | The rsh service, which is available with
the rsh-server package and runs as a service through xinetd or separately
as a systemd socket, should be disabled.
If using xinetd, set disable to yes in /etc/xinetd.d/rsh .
If using systemd,
The rsh socket can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable rsh.socket |
The rsh service uses unencrypted network communications, which means that data from the login session, including passwords and all other information transmitted during the session, can be stolen by eavesdroppers on the network. | AC-17(8) CM-7 IA-5(1)(c) |
|
CCE-27274-0 | Uninstall rsh Package | The rsh package contains the client commands
for the rsh services |
These legacy clients contain numerous security exposures and have
been replaced with the more secure SSH package. Even if the server is removed,
it is best to ensure the clients are also removed to prevent users from
inadvertently attempting to use these commands and therefore exposing
their credentials. Note that removing the rsh package removes
the clients for rsh ,rcp , and rlogin .
|
||
CCE-27336-7 | Disable rlogin Service | The rlogin service, which is available with
the rsh-server package and runs as a service through xinetd or separately
as a systemd socket, should be disabled.
If using xinetd, set disable to yes in /etc/xinetd.d/rlogin .
If using systemd,
The rlogin socket can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable rlogin.socket |
The rlogin service uses unencrypted network communications, which means that data from the login session, including passwords and all other information transmitted during the session, can be stolen by eavesdroppers on the network. | AC-17(8) CM-7 IA-5(1)(c) |
|
CCE-27406-8 | Remove Rsh Trust Files | The files /etc/hosts.equiv and ~/.rhosts (in
each user's home directory) list remote hosts and users that are trusted by the
local system when using the rshd daemon.
To remove these files, run the following command to delete them from any
location:
$ sudo rm /etc/hosts.equiv $ rm ~/.rhosts |
Trust files are convenient, but when used in conjunction with the R-services, they can allow unauthenticated access to a system. | AC-17(8) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27399-5 | Uninstall ypserv Package | The ypserv package can be uninstalled with
the following command:
$ sudo yum erase ypserv |
The NIS service provides an unencrypted authentication service which does not
provide for the confidentiality and integrity of user passwords or the remote session.
Removing the ypserv package decreases the risk of the accidental (or intentional)
activation of NIS or NIS+ services.
|
AC-17(8) CM-7(a) |
|
CCE-27385-4 | Disable ypbind Service | The ypbind service, which allows the system to act as a client in
a NIS or NIS+ domain, should be disabled.
The ypbind service can be disabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl disable ypbind.service |
Disabling the ypbind service ensures the system is not acting
as a client in a NIS or NIS+ domain.
|
AC-17(8) CM-7 |
|
CCE-27396-1 | Remove NIS Client | The Network Information Service (NIS), formerly known as Yellow Pages,
is a client-server directory service protocol used to distribute system configuration
files. The NIS client (ypbind ) was used to bind a machine to an NIS server
and receive the distributed configuration files. |
The NIS service is inherently an insecure system that has been vulnerable to DOS attacks, buffer overflows and has poor authentication for querying NIS maps. NIS generally has been replaced by such protocols as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). It is recommended that the service be removed. | ||
CCE-27210-4 | Uninstall talk-server Package |
The talk-server package can be removed with the following command:
$ sudo yum erase talk-server |
The talk software presents a security risk as it uses unencrypted protocols
for communications. Removing the talk-server package decreases the
risk of the accidental (or intentional) activation of talk services.
|
||
CCE-27432-4 | Uninstall talk Package | The talk package contains the client program for the
Internet talk protocol, which allows the user to chat with other users on
different systems. Talk is a communication program which copies lines from one
terminal to the terminal of another user.
The talk package can be removed with the following command:
$ sudo yum erase talk |
The talk software presents a security risk as it uses unencrypted protocols
for communications. Removing the talk package decreases the
risk of the accidental (or intentional) activation of talk client program.
|
||
CCE-27323-5 | Enable cron Service | The crond service is used to execute commands at
preconfigured times. It is required by almost all systems to perform necessary
maintenance tasks, such as notifying root of system activity.
The crond service can be enabled with the following command:
$ sudo systemctl enable crond.service |
Due to its usage for maintenance and security-supporting tasks, enabling the cron daemon is essential. | CM-7 |
|
CCE-27320-1 | Allow Only SSH Protocol 2 | Only SSH protocol version 2 connections should be
permitted. The default setting in
/etc/ssh/sshd_config is correct, and can be
verified by ensuring that the following
line appears:
Protocol 2 |
SSH protocol version 1 is an insecure implementation of the SSH protocol and has many well-known vulnerability exploits. Exploits of the SSH daemon could provide immediate root access to the system. | AC-17(8).1(ii) IA-5(1)(c) |
|
CCE-27082-7 | Set SSH Client Alive Count | To ensure the SSH idle timeout occurs precisely when the ClientAliveCountMax is set,
edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config as
follows:
ClientAliveCountMax 0 |
This ensures a user login will be terminated as soon as the ClientAliveCountMax
is reached.
|
AC-2(5) SA-8 AC-12 |
|
CCE-27377-1 | Disable SSH Support for .rhosts Files | SSH can emulate the behavior of the obsolete rsh
command in allowing users to enable insecure access to their
accounts via .rhosts files.
To ensure this behavior is disabled, add or correct the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :
IgnoreRhosts yes |
SSH trust relationships mean a compromise on one host can allow an attacker to move trivially to other hosts. | AC-3 |
|
CCE-27413-4 | Disable Host-Based Authentication | SSH's cryptographic host-based authentication is
more secure than .rhosts authentication. However, it is
not recommended that hosts unilaterally trust one another, even
within an organization.
To disable host-based authentication, add or correct the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :
HostbasedAuthentication no |
SSH trust relationships mean a compromise on one host can allow an attacker to move trivially to other hosts. | AC-3 CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27363-1 | Do Not Allow SSH Environment Options | To ensure users are not able to override environment
options to the SSH daemon, add or correct the following line
in /etc/ssh/sshd_config :
PermitUserEnvironment no |
SSH environment options potentially allow users to bypass access restriction in some configurations. | CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27295-5 | Use Only Approved Ciphers | Limit the ciphers to those algorithms which are FIPS-approved.
Counter (CTR) mode is also preferred over cipher-block chaining (CBC) mode.
The following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config
demonstrates use of FIPS-approved ciphers:
Ciphers aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctrThe man page sshd_config(5) contains a list of supported ciphers.
|
Unapproved mechanisms that are used for authentication to the cryptographic module are not verified and therefore
cannot be relied upon to provide confidentiality or integrity, and system data may be compromised.
Operating systems utilizing encryption are required to use FIPS-compliant mechanisms for authenticating to cryptographic modules. FIPS 140-2 is the current standard for validating that mechanisms used to access cryptographic modules utilize authentication that meets industry and government requirements. For government systems, this allows Security Levels 1, 2, 3, or 4 for use on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. |
AC-3 AC-17(2) AU-10(5) CM-6(b) IA-5(1)(c) IA-7 |
|
CCE-27455-5 | Use Only FIPS Approved MACs | Limit the MACs to those hash algorithms which are FIPS-approved.
The following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config
demonstrates use of FIPS-approved MACs:
MACs hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha2-256The man page sshd_config(5) contains a list of supported MACs.
|
DoD Information Systems are required to use FIPS-approved cryptographic hash functions. The only SSHv2 hash algorithms meeting this requirement is SHA2. | AC-17(2) IA-7 SC-13 |
|
CCE-26961-3 | Ensure SELinux Not Disabled in /etc/default/grub | SELinux can be disabled at boot time by an argument in
/etc/default/grub .
Remove any instances of selinux=0 from the kernel arguments in that
file to prevent SELinux from being disabled at boot.
|
Disabling a major host protection feature, such as SELinux, at boot time prevents it from confining system services at boot time. Further, it increases the chances that it will remain off during system operation. | AC-3 AC-3(3) AC-6 AU-9 |
|
CCE-27334-2 | Ensure SELinux State is Enforcing | The SELinux state should be set to at
system boot time. In the file /etc/selinux/config , add or correct the
following line to configure the system to boot into enforcing mode:
SELINUX= |
Setting the SELinux state to enforcing ensures SELinux is able to confine potentially compromised processes to the security policy, which is designed to prevent them from causing damage to the system or further elevating their privileges. | AC-3 AC-3(3) AC-4 AC-6 AU-9 |
|
CCE-27279-9 | Configure SELinux Policy | The SELinux targeted policy is appropriate for
general-purpose desktops and servers, as well as systems in many other roles.
To configure the system to use this policy, add or correct the following line
in /etc/selinux/config :
SELINUXTYPE=Other policies, such as mls , provide additional security labeling
and greater confinement but are not compatible with many general-purpose
use cases.
|
Setting the SELinux policy to targeted or a more specialized policy
ensures the system will confine processes that are likely to be
targeted for exploitation, such as network or system services.
Note: During the development or debugging of SELinux modules, it is common to
temporarily place non-production systems in permissive mode. In such
temporary cases, SELinux policies should be developed, and once work
is completed, the system should be reconfigured to
.
|
AC-3 AC-3(3) AC-4 AC-6 AU-9 |
|
CCE-27288-0 | Ensure No Daemons are Unconfined by SELinux |
Daemons for which the SELinux policy does not contain rules will inherit the
context of the parent process. Because daemons are launched during
startup and descend from the init process, they inherit the initrc_t context.
To check for unconfined daemons, run the following command: $ sudo ps -eZ | egrep "initrc" | egrep -vw "tr|ps|egrep|bash|awk" | tr ':' ' ' | awk '{ print $NF }'It should produce no output in a well-configured system. |
Daemons which run with the initrc_t context may cause AVC denials,
or allow privileges that the daemon does not require.
|
AC-6 AU-9 CM-7 |
|
CCE-27326-8 | Ensure No Device Files are Unlabeled by SELinux | Device files, which are used for communication with important
system resources, should be labeled with proper SELinux types. If any device
files carry the SELinux type device_t , report the bug so that policy can be corrected. Supply information about what the device is and what programs use it.
|
If a device file carries the SELinux type device_t , then SELinux
cannot properly restrict access to the device file.
|
AC-6 AU-9 CM-7 |
|
CCE-27175-9 | Verify Only Root Has UID 0 |
If any account other than root has a UID of 0, this misconfiguration should
be investigated and the accounts other than root should be removed or
have their UID changed.
If the account is associated with system commands or applications the UID should be changed to one greater than "0" but less than "1000." Otherwise assign a UID greater than "1000" that has not already been assigned. |
An account has root authority if it has a UID of 0. Multiple accounts with a UID of 0 afford more opportunity for potential intruders to guess a password for a privileged account. Proper configuration of sudo is recommended to afford multiple system administrators access to root privileges in an accountable manner. | AC-6 IA-2(1) IA-4 |
|
CCE-27503-2 | All GIDs referenced in /etc/passwd must be defined in /etc/group | Add a group to the system for each GID referenced without a corresponding group. | If a user is assigned the Group Identifier (GID) of a group not existing on the system, and a group with the Gruop Identifier (GID) is subsequently created, the user may have unintended rights to any files associated with the group. | IA-2 |
|
CCE-27209-6 | Verify and Correct File Permissions with RPM |
Discretionary access control is weakened if a user or group has access
permissions to system files and directories greater than the default.
The RPM package management system can check file access permissions
of installed software packages, including many that are important
to system security.
Verify that the file permissions, ownership, and gruop membership of system files
and commands match vendor values. Check the file permissions, ownership, and group
membership with the following command:
$ sudo rpm -Va | grep '^.M'Output indicates files that do not match vendor defaults. After locating a file with incorrect permissions, run the following command to determine which package owns it: $ rpm -qf FILENAMENext, run the following command to reset its permissions to the correct values: $ sudo rpm --setperms PACKAGENAME |
Permissions on system binaries and configuration files that are too generous could allow an unauthorized user to gain privileges that they should not have. The permissions set by the vendor should be maintained. Any deviations from this baseline should be investigated. | AC-6 CM-6(d) CM-6(3) |
|
CCE-27311-0 | Verify Permissions on SSH Server Public *.pub Key Files |
To properly set the permissions of /etc/ssh/*.pub , run the command:
$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/ssh/*.pub |
If a public host key file is modified by an unauthorized user, the SSH service may be compromised. | AC-6 |
|
CCE-27485-2 | Verify Permissions on SSH Server Private *_key Key Files |
To properly set the permissions of /etc/ssh/*_key , run the command:
$ sudo chmod 0600 /etc/ssh/*_key |
If an unauthorized user obtains the private SSH host key file, the host could be impersonated. | AC-6 |
|
CCE-80135-7 | Ensure All Files Are Owned by a Group | If any files are not owned by a group, then the cause of their lack of group-ownership should be investigated. Following this, the files should be deleted or assigned to an appropriate group. | Unowned files do not directly imply a security problem, but they are generally a sign that something is amiss. They may be caused by an intruder, by incorrect software installation or draft software removal, or by failure to remove all files belonging to a deleted account. The files should be repaired so they will not cause problems when accounts are created in the future, and the cause should be discovered and addressed. | AC-6 IA-2 |
|
CCE-80134-0 | Ensure All Files Are Owned by a User | If any files are not owned by a user, then the cause of their lack of ownership should be investigated. Following this, the files should be deleted or assigned to an appropriate user. | Unowned files do not directly imply a security problem, but they are generally a sign that something is amiss. They may be caused by an intruder, by incorrect software installation or draft software removal, or by failure to remove all files belonging to a deleted account. The files should be repaired so they will not cause problems when accounts are created in the future, and the cause should be discovered and addressed. | AC-6 CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27096-7 | Install AIDE |
Install the AIDE package with the command:
$ sudo yum install aide |
The AIDE package must be installed if it is to be available for integrity checking. | CM-3(d) CM-3(e) CM-6(d) CM-6(3) SC-28 SI-7 |
|
CCE-27078-5 | Disable Prelinking |
The prelinking feature changes binaries in an attempt to decrease their startup
time. In order to disable it, change or add the following line inside the file
/etc/sysconfig/prelink :
PRELINKING=noNext, run the following command to return binaries to a normal, non-prelinked state: $ sudo /usr/sbin/prelink -ua |
Because the prelinking feature changes binaries, it can interfere with the operation of certain software and/or modes such as AIDE, FIPS, etc. | CM-6(d) CM-6(3) SC-28 SI-7 |
|
CCE-27220-3 | Build and Test AIDE Database | Run the following command to generate a new database:
$ sudo /usr/sbin/aide --initBy default, the database will be written to the file /var/lib/aide/aide.db.new.gz .
Storing the database, the configuration file /etc/aide.conf , and the binary
/usr/sbin/aide (or hashes of these files), in a secure location (such as on read-only media) provides additional assurance about their integrity.
The newly-generated database can be installed as follows:
$ sudo cp /var/lib/aide/aide.db.new.gz /var/lib/aide/aide.db.gzTo initiate a manual check, run the following command: $ sudo /usr/sbin/aide --checkIf this check produces any unexpected output, investigate. |
For AIDE to be effective, an initial database of "known-good" information about files must be captured and it should be able to be verified against the installed files. | CM-3(d) CM-3(e) CM-6(d) CM-6(3) SC-28 SI-7 |
|
CCE-26952-2 | Configure Periodic Execution of AIDE |
To implement a daily execution of AIDE at 4:05am using cron, add the following line to /etc/crontab :
05 4 * * * root /usr/sbin/aide --checkAIDE can be executed periodically through other means; this is merely one example. |
By default, AIDE does not install itself for periodic execution. Periodically running AIDE is necessary to reveal unexpected changes in installed files. | CM-3(d) CM-3(e) CM-6(d) CM-6(3) SC-28 SI-7 |
|
CCE-27157-7 | Verify File Hashes with RPM | Without cryptographic integrity protections, system
executables and files can be altered by unauthorized users without
detection.
The RPM package management system can check the hashes of
installed software packages, including many that are important to system
security.
To verify that the cryptographic hash of system files and commands match vendor
values, run the following command to list which files on the system
have hashes that differ from what is expected by the RPM database:
$ rpm -Va | grep '^..5'A "c" in the second column indicates that a file is a configuration file, which may appropriately be expected to change. If the file was not expected to change, investigate the cause of the change using audit logs or other means. The package can then be reinstalled to restore the file. Run the following command to determine which package owns the file: $ rpm -qf FILENAMEThe package can be reinstalled from a yum repository using the command: $ sudo yum reinstall PACKAGENAMEAlternatively, the package can be reinstalled from trusted media using the command: $ sudo rpm -Uvh PACKAGENAME |
The hashes of important files like system executables should match the information given by the RPM database. Executables with erroneous hashes could be a sign of nefarious activity on the system. | CM-6(d) CM-6(3) SI-7 |
|
CCE-26818-5 | Install Intrusion Detection Software | The base Red Hat platform already includes a sophisticated auditing system that can detect intruder activity, as well as SELinux, which provides host-based intrusion prevention capabilities by confining privileged programs and user sessions which may become compromised. | Host-based intrusion detection tools provide a system-level defense when an intruder gains access to a system or network. | SC-7 |
|
CCE-27140-3 | Install Virus Scanning Software | Install virus scanning software, which uses signatures to search for the presence of viruses on the filesystem. Ensure virus definition files are no older than 7 days, or their last release. Configure the virus scanning software to perform scans dynamically on all accessed files. If this is not possible, configure the system to scan all altered files on the system on a daily basis. If the system processes inbound SMTP mail, configure the virus scanner to scan all received mail. | Virus scanning software can be used to detect if a system has been compromised by computer viruses, as well as to limit their spread to other systems. | SC-28 SI-3 |
|
CCE-27068-6 | Set Daemon Umask | The file /etc/init.d/functions includes initialization
parameters for most or all daemons started at boot time. The default umask of
022 prevents creation of group- or world-writable files. To set the default
umask for daemons, edit the following line, inserting 022 or 027 for
UMASK appropriately:
umaskSetting the umask to too restrictive a setting can cause serious errors at runtime. Many daemons on the system already individually restrict themselves to a umask of 077 in their own init scripts. |
The umask influences the permissions assigned to files created by a process at run time. An unnecessarily permissive umask could result in files being created with insecure permissions. | AC-6 |
|
CCE-26900-1 | Disable Core Dumps for SUID programs |
To set the runtime status of the fs.suid_dumpable kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w fs.suid_dumpable=0If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
fs.suid_dumpable = 0 |
The core dump of a setuid program is more likely to contain sensitive data, as the program itself runs with greater privileges than the user who initiated execution of the program. Disabling the ability for any setuid program to write a core file decreases the risk of unauthorized access of such data. | SI-11 |
|
CCE-27211-2 | Enable ExecShield | By default on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 64-bit systems, ExecShield
is enabled and can only be disabled if the hardware does not support ExecShield
or is disabled in /etc/default/grub . For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
32-bit systems, sysctl can be used to enable ExecShield. |
ExecShield uses the segmentation feature on all x86 systems to prevent execution in memory higher than a certain address. It writes an address as a limit in the code segment descriptor, to control where code can be executed, on a per-process basis. When the kernel places a process's memory regions such as the stack and heap higher than this address, the hardware prevents execution in that address range. This is enabled by default on the latest Red Hat and Fedora systems if supported by the hardware. | SC-39 |
|
CCE-27127-0 | Enable Randomized Layout of Virtual Address Space |
To set the runtime status of the kernel.randomize_va_space kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w kernel.randomize_va_space=2If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
kernel.randomize_va_space = 2 |
Address space layout randomization (ASLR) makes it more difficult for an attacker to predict the location of attack code they have introduced into a process's address space during an attempt at exploitation. Additionally, ASLR makes it more difficult for an attacker to know the location of existing code in order to re-purpose it using return oriented programming (ROP) techniques. | SC-30(2) |
|
CCE-27116-3 | Install PAE Kernel on Supported 32-bit x86 Systems | Systems that are using the 64-bit x86 kernel package
do not need to install the kernel-PAE package because the 64-bit
x86 kernel already includes this support. However, if the system is
32-bit and also supports the PAE and NX features as
determined in the previous section, the kernel-PAE package should
be installed to enable XD or NX support:
$ sudo yum install kernel-PAEThe installation process should also have configured the bootloader to load the new kernel at boot. Verify this at reboot and modify /etc/default/grub if necessary. |
On 32-bit systems that support the XD or NX bit, the vendor-supplied PAE kernel is required to enable either Execute Disable (XD) or No Execute (NX) support. | CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27099-1 | Enable NX or XD Support in the BIOS | Reboot the system and enter the BIOS or Setup configuration menu. Navigate the BIOS configuration menu and make sure that the option is enabled. The setting may be located under a Security section. Look for Execute Disable (XD) on Intel-based systems and No Execute (NX) on AMD-based systems. | Computers with the ability to prevent this type of code execution frequently put an option in the BIOS that will allow users to turn the feature on or off at will. | CM-6(b) |
|
CCE-27050-4 | Restrict Access to Kernel Message Buffer |
To set the runtime status of the kernel.dmesg_restrict kernel parameter,
run the following command:
$ sudo sysctl -w kernel.dmesg_restrict=1If this is not the system's default value, add the following line to /etc/sysctl.conf :
kernel.dmesg_restrict = 1 |
Unprivileged access to the kernel syslog can expose sensitive kernel address information. | SI-11 |
|
CCE-27081-9 | Limit the Number of Concurrent Login Sessions Allowed Per User |
Limiting the number of allowed users and sessions per user can limit risks related to Denial of
Service attacks. This addresses concurrent sessions for a single account and does not address
concurrent sessions by a single user via multiple accounts. To set the number of concurrent
sessions per user add the following line in /etc/security/limits.conf :
* hard maxlogins |
Limiting simultaneous user logins can insulate the system from denial of service problems caused by excessive logins. Automated login processes operating improperly or maliciously may result in an exceptional number of simultaneous login sessions. | AC-10 |
|
CCE-27051-2 | Set Password Maximum Age | To specify password maximum age for new accounts,
edit the file /etc/login.defs
and add or correct the following line, replacing DAYS appropriately:
PASS_MAX_DAYS DAYSA value of 180 days is sufficient for many environments. The DoD requirement is 60. |
Any password, no matter how complex, can eventually be cracked. Therefore, passwords need to be changed periodically. If the operating system does not limit the lifetime of passwords and force users to change their passwords, there is the risk that the operating system passwords could be compromised. Setting the password maximum age ensures users are required to periodically change their passwords. Requiring shorter password lifetimes increases the risk of users writing down the password in a convenient location subject to physical compromise. | IA-5(f) IA-5(g) IA-5(1)(d) |
|
CCE-27002-5 | Set Password Minimum Age | To specify password minimum age for new accounts,
edit the file /etc/login.defs
and add or correct the following line, replacing DAYS appropriately:
PASS_MIN_DAYS DAYSA value of 1 day is considered for sufficient for many environments. The DoD requirement is 1. |
Enforcing a minimum password lifetime helps to prevent repeated password changes to defeat the password reuse or history enforcement requirement. If users are allowed to immediately and continually change their password, then the password could be repeatedly changed in a short period of time to defeat the organization's policy regarding password reuse. Setting the minimum password age protects against users cycling back to a favorite password after satisfying the password reuse requirement. | IA-5(f) IA-5(1)(d) |
|
CCE-27557-8 | Set Interactive Session Timeout | Terminating an idle session within a short time period reduces the window of opportunity for unauthorized personnel to take control of a management session enabled on the console or console port that has been left unattended. | AC-12 SC-10 |
||
CCE-27275-7 | Set Last Logon/Access Notification | To configure the system to notify users of last logon/access
using pam_lastlog , add or correct the pam_lastlog settings in
/etc/pam.d/postlogin to read as follows:
session [success=1 default=ignore] pam_succeed_if.so service !~ gdm* service !~ su* quiet session [default=1] pam_lastlog.so nowtmp showfailed session optional pam_lastlog.so silent noupdate showfailed |
Users need to be aware of activity that occurs regarding their account. Providing users with information regarding the number of unsuccessful attempts that were made to login to their account allows the user to determine if any unauthorized activity has occurred and gives them an opportunity to notify administrators. | ||
CCE-27053-8 | Set Password Hashing Algorithm in /etc/libuser.conf |
In /etc/libuser.conf , add or correct the following line in its
[defaults] section to ensure the system will use the SHA-512
algorithm for password hashing:
crypt_style = sha512 |
Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting
passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily
compromised. Passwords that are encrypted with a weak algorithm are no more protected than if they
are kepy in plain text.
This setting ensures user and group account administration utilities are configured to store only
encrypted representations of passwords. Additionally, the crypt_style configuration option
ensures the use of a strong hashing algorithm that makes password cracking attacks more difficult.
|
IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(c) IA-7 |
|
CCE-27104-9 | Set PAM's Password Hashing Algorithm |
The PAM system service can be configured to only store encrypted representations of passwords.
In /etc/pam.d/system-auth , the password section of the file controls
which PAM modules execute during a password change. Set the pam_unix.so
module in the password section to include the argument sha512 , as shown below:
password sufficient pam_unix.so sha512 other arguments... This will help ensure when local users change their passwords, hashes for the new passwords will be generated using the SHA-512 algorithm. This is the default. |
Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting
passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily
compromised. Passwords that are encrypted with a weak algorithm are no more protected than if they
are kepy in plain text.
This setting ensures user and group account administration utilities are configured to store only
encrypted representations of passwords. Additionally, the crypt_style configuration option
ensures the use of a strong hashing algorithm that makes password cracking attacks more difficult.
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IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(c) IA-7 |
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CCE-27124-7 | Set Password Hashing Algorithm in /etc/login.defs |
In /etc/login.defs , add or correct the following line to ensure
the system will use SHA-512 as the hashing algorithm:
ENCRYPT_METHOD SHA512 |
Passwords need to be protected at all times, and encryption is the standard method for protecting passwords. If passwords are not encrypted, they can be plainly read (i.e., clear text) and easily compromised. Passwords that are encrypted with a weak algorithm are no more protected than if they are kept in plain text. Using a stronger hashing algorithm makes password cracking attacks more difficult. | IA-5(b) IA-5(c) IA-5(1)(c) IA-7 |
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CCE-27128-8 | Encrypt Partitions |
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 natively supports partition encryption through the
Linux Unified Key Setup-on-disk-format (LUKS) technology. The easiest way to
encrypt a partition is during installation time.
For manual installations, select the Encrypt checkbox during
partition creation to encrypt the partition. When this
option is selected the system will prompt for a passphrase to use in
decrypting the partition. The passphrase will subsequently need to be entered manually
every time the system boots.
For automated/unattended installations, it is possible to use Kickstart by adding the --encrypted and --passphrase= options to the definition of each partition to be
encrypted. For example, the following line would encrypt the root partition:
part / --fstype=ext4 --size=100 --onpart=hda1 --encrypted --passphrase=PASSPHRASEAny PASSPHRASE is stored in the Kickstart in plaintext, and the Kickstart must then be protected accordingly. Omitting the --passphrase= option from the partition definition will cause the
installer to pause and interactively ask for the passphrase during installation.
Detailed information on encrypting partitions using LUKS can be found on the Red Hat Documentation web site: https://docs.redhat.com/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/Security_Guide/sec-Encryption.html |
The risk of a system's physical compromise, particularly mobile systems such as laptops, places its data at risk of compromise. Encrypting this data mitigates the risk of its loss if the system is lost. | SC-13 SC-28(1) |
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CCE-26957-1 | Ensure Red Hat GPG Key Installed |
To ensure the system can cryptographically verify base software
packages come from Red Hat (and to connect to the Red Hat Network to
receive them), the Red Hat GPG key must properly be installed.
To install the Red Hat GPG key, run:
$ sudo rhn_registerIf the system is not connected to the Internet or an RHN Satellite, then install the Red Hat GPG key from trusted media such as the Red Hat installation CD-ROM or DVD. Assuming the disc is mounted in /media/cdrom , use the following command as the root user to import
it into the keyring:
$ sudo rpm --import /media/cdrom/RPM-GPG-KEY |
Changes to software components can have significant effects on the overall security of the operating system. This requirement ensures the software has not been tampered with and that it has been provided by a trusted vendor. The Red Hat GPG key is necessary to cryptographically verify packages are from Red Hat. | CM-5(3) SI-7 MA-1(b) |
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CCE-26989-4 | Ensure gpgcheck Enabled In Main Yum Configuration | The gpgcheck option controls whether
RPM packages' signatures are always checked prior to installation.
To configure yum to check package signatures before installing
them, ensure the following line appears in /etc/yum.conf in
the [main] section:
gpgcheck=1 |
Changes to any software components can have significant effects on the overall security
of the operating system. This requirement ensures the software has not been tampered with
and that it has been provided by a trusted vendor.
Accordingly, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components must be signed with a certificate recognized and approved by the organization. Verifying the authenticity of the software prior to installation validates the integrity of the patch or upgrade received from a vendor. This ensures the software has not been tampered with and that it has been provided by a trusted vendor. Self-signed certificates are disallowed by this requirement. Certificates used to verify the software must be from an approved Certificate Authority (CA). |
CM-5(3) SI-7 MA-1(b) |
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CCE-26876-3 | Ensure gpgcheck Enabled For All Yum Package Repositories | To ensure signature checking is not disabled for
any repos, remove any lines from files in /etc/yum.repos.d of the form:
gpgcheck=0 |
Verifying the authenticity of the software prior to installation validates the integrity of the patch or upgrade received from a vendor. This ensures the software has not been tampered with and that it has been provided by a trusted vendor. Self-signed certificates are disallowed by this requirement. Certificates used to verify the software must be from an approved Certificate Authority (CA). | CM-5(3) SI-7 MA-1(b) |