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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Amazon Linux 2023

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • DNS Server

    Most organizations have an operational need to run at least one nameserver. However, there are many common attacks involving DNS server software, and this server software should be disabled on any ...
    Group
  • Verify Ownership on SSH Server Private *_key Key Files

    SSH server private keys, files that match the /etc/ssh/*_key glob, must be owned by root user.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Ownership on SSH Server Public *.pub Key Files

    SSH server public keys, files that match the /etc/ssh/*.pub glob, must be owned by root user.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Who Owns Backup gshadow File

    To properly set the group owner of /etc/gshadow-, run the command:
    $ sudo chgrp root /etc/gshadow-
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Who Owns Backup passwd File

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

    To properly set the permissions of /etc/issue.net, run the command:
    $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/issue.net
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify permissions on Message of the Day Banner

    To properly set the permissions of /etc/motd, run the command:
    $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/motd
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Protect Accounts by Restricting Password-Based Login

    Conventionally, Unix shell accounts are accessed by providing a username and password to a login program, which tests these values for correctness using the <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/...
    Group
  • Ensure All Accounts on the System Have Unique User IDs

    Change user IDs (UIDs), or delete accounts, so each has a unique name.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure All Groups on the System Have Unique Group ID

    Change the group name or delete groups, so each has a unique id.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure All Groups on the System Have Unique Group Names

    Change the group name or delete groups, so each has a unique name.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure There Are No Accounts With Blank or Null Passwords

    Check the "/etc/shadow" file for blank passwords with the following command: <pre>$ sudo awk -F: '!$2 {print $1}' /etc/shadow</pre> If the command returns any results, this is a finding. Configure ...
    Rule High Severity
  • Install sudo Package

    The sudo package can be installed with the following command:
    $ sudo dnf install sudo
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure Only Users Logged In To Real tty Can Execute Sudo - sudo use_pty

    The sudo <code>use_pty</code> tag, when specified, will only execute sudo commands from users logged in to a real tty. This should be enabled by making sure that the <code>use_pty</code> tag exists...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure Sudo Logfile Exists - sudo logfile

    A custom log sudo file can be configured with the 'logfile' tag. This rule configures a sudo custom logfile at the default location suggested by CIS, which uses /var/log/sudo.log.
    Rule Low Severity
  • Verify permissions on System Login Banner

    To properly set the permissions of /etc/issue, run the command:
    $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/issue
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Build and Test AIDE Database

    Run the following command to generate a new database: <pre>$ sudo /usr/sbin/aide --init</pre> By default, the database will be written to the file <code>/var/lib/aide/aide.db.new.gz</code>. Sto...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure AIDE to Verify the Audit Tools

    The operating system file integrity tool must be configured to protect the integrity of the audit tools.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure Periodic Execution of AIDE

    At a minimum, AIDE should be configured to run a weekly scan. To implement a daily execution of AIDE at 4:05am using cron, add the following line to <code>/etc/crontab</code>: <pre>05 4 * * * root ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • System Cryptographic Policies

    Linux has the capability to centrally configure cryptographic polices. The command <code>update-crypto-policies</code> is used to set the policy applicable for the various cryptographic back-ends, ...
    Group

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