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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Amazon Linux 2023

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • The system-provided crypto policies

    Specify the crypto policy for the system.
    Value
  • Configure System Cryptography Policy

    To configure the system cryptography policy to use ciphers only from the <code><xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_var_system_crypto_policy" use="legacy"></xccdf-1.2:sub></code...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure SSH to use System Crypto Policy

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. SSH is supported by crypto policy, but the SSH configuration may be set up to ignore it. To check that C...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Disk Partitioning

    To ensure separation and protection of data, there are top-level system directories which should be placed on their own physical partition or logical volume. The installer's default partitioning sc...
    Group
  • Ensure /dev/shm is configured

    The <code>/dev/shm</code> is a traditional shared memory concept. One program will create a memory portion, which other processes (if permitted) can access. If <code>/dev/shm</code> is not configur...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /home Located On Separate Partition

    If user home directories will be stored locally, create a separate partition for <code>/home</code> at installation time (or migrate it later using LVM). If <code>/home</code> will be mounted from ...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /tmp Located On Separate Partition

    The /tmp directory is a world-writable directory used for temporary file storage. Ensure it has its own partition or logical volume at installation time, or migrate it using LVM.
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /var Located On Separate Partition

    The <code>/var</code> directory is used by daemons and other system services to store frequently-changing data. Ensure that <code>/var</code> has its own partition or logical volume at installation...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /var/log Located On Separate Partition

    System logs are stored in the /var/log directory. Ensure that /var/log has its own partition or logical volume at installation time, or migrate it using LVM.
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /var/log/audit Located On Separate Partition

    Audit logs are stored in the <code>/var/log/audit</code> directory. Ensure that <code>/var/log/audit</code> has its own partition or logical volume at installation time, or migrate it using LVM. M...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Ensure /var/tmp Located On Separate Partition

    The /var/tmp directory is a world-writable directory used for temporary file storage. Ensure it has its own partition or logical volume at installation time, or migrate it using LVM.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Sudo

    <code>Sudo</code>, which stands for "su 'do'", provides the ability to delegate authority to certain users, groups of users, or system administrators. When configured for system users and/or groups...
    Group
  • Sudo - logfile value

    Specify the sudo logfile to use. The default value used here matches the example location from CIS, which uses /var/log/sudo.log.
    Value
  • Sudo - timestamp_timeout value

    Defines the number of minutes that can elapse before <code>sudo</code> will ask for a passwd again. If set to a value less than 0 the user's time stamp will never expire. Defining 0 means always pr...
    Value
  • Require Re-Authentication When Using the sudo Command

    The sudo <code>timestamp_timeout</code> tag sets the amount of time sudo password prompt waits. The default <code>timestamp_timeout</code> value is 5 minutes. The timestamp_timeout should be config...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Updating Software

    The <code>dnf</code> command line tool is used to install and update software packages. The system also provides a graphical software update tool in the <b>System</b> menu, in the <b>Administration...
    Group
  • Ensure gpgcheck Enabled In Main dnf Configuration

    The <code>gpgcheck</code> option controls whether RPM packages' signatures are always checked prior to installation. To configure dnf to check package signatures before installing them, ensure the ...
    Rule High Severity
  • Account and Access Control

    In traditional Unix security, if an attacker gains shell access to a certain login account, they can perform any action or access any file to which that account has access. Therefore, making it mor...
    Group
  • Warning Banners for System Accesses

    Each system should expose as little information about itself as possible. <br> <br> System banners, which are typically displayed just before a login prompt, give out information about the s...
    Group
  • Login Banner Verbiage

    Enter an appropriate login banner for your organization. Please note that new lines must be expressed by the '\n' character and special characters like parentheses and quotation marks must be escap...
    Value
  • MotD Banner Verbiage

    Enter an appropriate login banner for your organization. Please note that new lines must be expressed by the '\n' character and special characters like parentheses and quotation marks must be escap...
    Value
  • Remote Login Banner Verbiage

    Enter an appropriate login banner for your organization. Please note that new lines must be expressed by the '\n' character and special characters like parentheses and quotation marks must be escap...
    Value
  • Modify the System Login Banner

    To configure the system login banner edit <code>/etc/issue</code>. Replace the default text with a message compliant with the local site policy or a legal disclaimer. The DoD required text is ei...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Modify the System Login Banner for Remote Connections

    To configure the system login banner edit <code>/etc/issue.net</code>. Replace the default text with a message compliant with the local site policy or a legal disclaimer. The DoD required text is ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Modify the System Message of the Day Banner

    To configure the system message banner edit <code>/etc/motd</code>. Replace the default text with a message compliant with the local site policy or a legal disclaimer. The DoD required text is eit...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Ownership of System Login Banner

    To properly set the group owner of /etc/issue, run the command:
    $ sudo chgrp root /etc/issue
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Ownership of System Login Banner for Remote Connections

    To properly set the group owner of /etc/issue.net, run the command:
    $ sudo chgrp root /etc/issue.net
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Ownership of Message of the Day Banner

    To properly set the group owner of /etc/motd, run the command:
    $ sudo chgrp root /etc/motd
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify ownership of System Login Banner

    To properly set the owner of /etc/issue, run the command:
    $ sudo chown root /etc/issue 
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify ownership of System Login Banner for Remote Connections

    To properly set the owner of /etc/issue.net, run the command:
    $ sudo chown root /etc/issue.net 
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify ownership of Message of the Day Banner

    To properly set the owner of /etc/motd, run the command:
    $ sudo chown root /etc/motd 
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Protect Accounts by Configuring PAM

    PAM, or Pluggable Authentication Modules, is a system which implements modular authentication for Linux programs. PAM provides a flexible and configurable architecture for authentication, and it sh...
    Group
  • Password Hashing algorithm

    Specify the system default encryption algorithm for encrypting passwords. Defines the value set as ENCRYPT_METHOD in /etc/login.defs.
    Value
  • Password Hashing algorithm for pam_unix.so

    Specify the system default encryption algorithm for encrypting passwords. Defines the hashing algorithm to be used in pam_unix.so.
    Value
  • Set Lockouts for Failed Password Attempts

    The <code>pam_faillock</code> PAM module provides the capability to lock out user accounts after a number of failed login attempts. Its documentation is available in <code>/usr/share/doc/pam-VERSIO...
    Group
  • fail_deny

    Number of failed login attempts before account lockout
    Value
  • faillock directory

    The directory where the user files with the failure records are kept
    Value
  • fail_unlock_time

    Seconds before automatic unlocking or permanently locking after excessive failed logins
    Value
  • pwhistory_remember

    Prevent password re-use using password history lookup
    Value
  • PAM pwhistory remember - control flag

    'Specify the control flag required for password remember requirement. If multiple values are allowed write them separated by commas as in "required,requisite", for remediations the first value will...
    Value
  • Configure the Use of the pam_faillock.so Module in the /etc/pam.d/password-auth File.

    The pam_faillock.so module must be loaded in preauth in /etc/pam.d/password-auth.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure the Use of the pam_faillock.so Module in the /etc/pam.d/system-auth File.

    The pam_faillock.so module must be loaded in preauth in /etc/pam.d/system-auth.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Limit Password Reuse: password-auth

    Do not allow users to reuse recent passwords. This can be accomplished by using the <code>remember</code> option for the <code>pam_pwhistory</code> PAM module. <br> <br> On systems with n...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Limit Password Reuse: system-auth

    Do not allow users to reuse recent passwords. This can be accomplished by using the <code>remember</code> option for the <code>pam_pwhistory</code> PAM module. <br> <br> On systems with n...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Lock Accounts After Failed Password Attempts

    This rule configures the system to lock out accounts after a number of incorrect login attempts using <code>pam_faillock.so</code>. pam_faillock.so module requires multiple entries in pam files. Th...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Lockout Time for Failed Password Attempts

    This rule configures the system to lock out accounts during a specified time period after a number of incorrect login attempts using <code>pam_faillock.so</code>. Ensure that the file <code>/etc/s...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Quality Requirements

    The default <code>pam_pwquality</code> PAM module provides strength checking for passwords. It performs a number of checks, such as making sure passwords are not similar to dictionary words, are of...
    Group
  • Set Password Quality Requirements with pam_pwquality

    The <code>pam_pwquality</code> PAM module can be configured to meet requirements for a variety of policies. <br> <br> For example, to configure <code>pam_pwquality</code> to require at lea...
    Group
  • minclass

    Minimum number of categories of characters that must exist in a password
    Value
  • minlen

    Minimum number of characters in password
    Value

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