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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • System Settings

    Contains rules that check correct system settings.
    Group
  • Installing and Maintaining Software

    The following sections contain information on security-relevant choices during the initial operating system installation process and the setup of s...
    Group
  • Prefer to use a 64-bit Operating System when supported

    Prefer installation of 64-bit operating systems when the CPU supports it.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • System and Software Integrity

    System and software integrity can be gained by installing antivirus, increasing system encryption strength with FIPS, verifying installed software,...
    Group
  • Software Integrity Checking

    Both the AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) software and the RPM package management system provide mechanisms for verifying the integr...
    Group
  • Integrity Scan Notification Email Address

    Specify the email address for designated personnel if baseline configurations are changed in an unauthorized manner.
    Value
  • Verify Integrity with RPM

    The RPM package management system includes the ability to verify the integrity of installed packages by comparing the installed files with informat...
    Group
  • HTTPD Log Level

    The setting for LogLevel in /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
    Value
  • Maximum KeepAlive Requests for HTTPD

    The setting for MaxKeepAliveRequests in httpd.conf
    Value
  • warning days before password expires

    The number of days' warning given before a password expires.
    Value
  • Disable Dovecot

    If the system does not need to operate as an IMAP or POP3 server, the dovecot software should be disabled and removed.
    Group
  • Remove NIS Client

    The Network Information Service (NIS), formerly known as Yellow Pages, is a client-server directory service protocol used to distribute system conf...
    Rule Unknown Severity
  • Uninstall ypserv Package

    The ypserv package can be removed with the following command:
    $ sudo yum erase ypserv
    Rule High Severity
  • Disable ypbind Service

    The <code>ypbind</code> service, which allows the system to act as a client in a NIS or NIS+ domain, should be disabled. The <code>ypbind</code> s...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Disable ypserv Service

    The <code>ypserv</code> service, which allows the system to act as a client in a NIS or NIS+ domain, should be disabled. The <code>ypserv</code> s...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Rlogin, Rsh, and Rexec

    The Berkeley r-commands are legacy services which allow cleartext remote access and have an insecure trust model.
    Group
  • Uninstall rsh-server Package

    The rsh-server package can be removed with the following command:
    $ sudo yum erase rsh-server
    Rule High Severity
  • Uninstall rsh Package

    The rsh package contains the client commands for the rsh services
    Rule Unknown Severity
  • The Installed Operating System Is Vendor Supported

    The installed operating system must be maintained by a vendor. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is supported by Red Hat, Inc. As the Red Hat Enterprise Li...
    Rule High Severity
  • Endpoint Protection Software

    Endpoint protection security software that is not provided or supported by Red Hat can be installed to provide complementary or duplicative secur...
    Group
  • Install the Asset Configuration Compliance Module (ACCM)

    Install the Asset Configuration Compliance Module (ACCM).
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure AIDE to Use FIPS 140-2 for Validating Hashes

    By default, the <code>sha512</code> option is added to the <code>NORMAL</code> ruleset in AIDE. If using a custom ruleset or the <code>sha512</code...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Integrity with AIDE

    AIDE conducts integrity checks by comparing information about files with previously-gathered information. Ideally, the AIDE database is created imm...
    Group
  • Install AIDE

    The aide package can be installed with the following command:
    $ sudo yum install aide
    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 fil...
    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 t...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure Notification of Post-AIDE Scan Details

    AIDE should notify appropriate personnel of the details of a scan after the scan has been run. If AIDE has already been configured for periodic exe...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • 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 ...
    Value
  • Ensure '/etc/system-fips' exists

    On a system where FIPS mode is enabled, <code>/etc/system-fips</code> must exist. To enable FIPS mode, run the following command: <pre>fips-mode-se...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure AIDE to Verify Access Control Lists (ACLs)

    By default, the <code>acl</code> option is added to the <code>FIPSR</code> ruleset in AIDE. If using a custom ruleset or the <code>acl</code> optio...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Configure AIDE to Verify Extended Attributes

    By default, the <code>xattrs</code> option is added to the <code>FIPSR</code> ruleset in AIDE. If using a custom ruleset or the <code>xattrs</code>...
    Rule Low Severity
  • Audit Tools Must Be Group-owned by Root

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 systems providing tools to interface with audit information will leverage user permissions and roles identifying the use...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Audit Tools Must Be Owned by Root

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 systems providing tools to interface with audit information will leverage user permissions and roles identifying the use...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Audit Tools Must Have a Mode of 0755 or Less Permissive

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 systems providing tools to interface with audit information will leverage user permissions and roles identifying the use...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)

    The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) is a computer security standard which is developed by the U.S. Government and industry working g...
    Group
  • Enable Dracut FIPS Module

    To enable FIPS mode, run the following command: <pre>fips-mode-setup --enable</pre> To enable FIPS, the system requires that the <code>fips</code> ...
    Rule High Severity
  • Enable FIPS Mode

    To enable FIPS mode, run the following command: <pre>fips-mode-setup --enable</pre> <br> The <code>fips-mode-setup</code> command will configure t...
    Rule High Severity
  • Set kernel parameter 'crypto.fips_enabled' to 1

    System running in FIPS mode is indicated by kernel parameter <code>'crypto.fips_enabled'</code>. This parameter should be set to <code>1</code> in ...
    Rule High 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 ap...
    Group
  • SSH client RekeyLimit - size

    Specify the size component of the rekey limit. This limit signifies amount of data. After this amount of data is transferred through the connection...
    Value
  • SSH client RekeyLimit - time

    Specify the time component of the rekey limit. The session key is renegotiated after the defined amount of time passes. The number is followed by u...
    Value
  • The system-provided crypto policies

    Specify the crypto policy for the system.
    Value
  • Install crypto-policies package

    The crypto-policies package can be installed with the following command:
    $ sudo yum install crypto-policies
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure BIND to use System Crypto Policy

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. BIND is supported by crypto policy, but the BIND confi...
    Rule High Severity
  • 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_...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure GnuTLS library to use DoD-approved TLS Encryption

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. GnuTLS is supported by system crypto policy, but the G...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure Kerberos to use System Crypto Policy

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. Kerberos is supported by crypto policy, but it's confi...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure Libreswan to use System Crypto Policy

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. Libreswan is supported by system crypto policy, but th...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure OpenSSL library to use System Crypto Policy

    Crypto Policies provide a centralized control over crypto algorithms usage of many packages. OpenSSL is supported by crypto policy, but the OpenSSL...
    Rule Medium Severity

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