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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • 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...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set existing passwords a period of inactivity before they been locked

    Configure user accounts that have been inactive for over a given period of time to be automatically disabled by running the following command: <pre...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure the Group Used by pam_wheel.so Module Exists on System and is Empty

    Ensure that the group <code><xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_var_pam_wheel_group_for_su" use="legacy"></xccdf-1.2:sub></cod...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Enforce Usage of pam_wheel with Group Parameter for su Authentication

    To ensure that only users who are members of the group set in the <code>group</code> option of <code>pam_wheel.so</code> module can run commands wi...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Interactive Session Timeout

    Setting the <code>TMOUT</code> option in <code>/etc/profile</code> ensures that all user sessions will terminate based on inactivity. The value of ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure auditd Collects Information on Kernel Module Loading and Unloading

    To capture kernel module loading and unloading events, use following lines, setting ARCH to either b32 for 32-bit system, or having two lines for b...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Record Attempts to Alter Logon and Logout Events

    The audit system already collects login information for all users and root. If the <code>auditd</code> daemon is configured to use the <code>augenr...
    Group
  • Record Attempts to Alter Logon and Logout Events

    The audit system already collects login information for all users and root. If the <code>auditd</code> daemon is configured to use the <code>augenr...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Type of hostname to record the audit event

    Type of hostname to record the audit event
    Value
  • Set type of computer node name logging in audit logs

    To configure Audit daemon to use a unique identifier as computer node name in the audit events, set <code>name_format</code> to <code><xccdf-1.2:su...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Perform general configuration of Audit for OSPP

    Configure some basic <code>Audit</code> parameters specific for OSPP profile. In particular, configure <code>Audit</code> to watch for direct modif...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Restrict unprivileged access to the kernel syslog

    Enforce restrictions on unprivileged users reading the kernel syslog via dmesg(8). The configuration that was used to build kernel is available at...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Randomize slab freelist

    Randomizes the freelist order used on creating new pages. This configuration is available from kernel 5.9, but may be available if backported by di...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure Log Files Are Owned By Appropriate Group

    The group-owner of all log files written by <code>rsyslog</code> should be <code>root</code>. These log files are determined by the second part of ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Dectivate firewalld Rules

    Firewalls can be used to separate networks into different zones based on the level of trust the user has decided to place on the devices and traffi...
    Group
  • Network Manager

    The NetworkManager daemon configures a variety of network connections. This section discusses how to configure NetworkManager.
    Group
  • NetoworkManager DNS Mode

    This sets how NetworkManager handles DNS. none - NetworkManager will not modify resolv.conf. default - NetworkManager will update /etc/resolv.con...
    Value
  • NetworkManager DNS Mode Must Be Must Configured

    The DNS processing mode in NetworkManager describes how DNS is processed on the system. Depending the mode some changes the system's DNS may not be...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify that All World-Writable Directories Have Sticky Bits Set

    When the so-called 'sticky bit' is set on a directory, only the owner of a given file may remove that file from the directory. Without the sticky b...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure All SGID Executables Are Authorized

    The SGID (set group id) bit should be set only on files that were installed via authorized means. A straightforward means of identifying unauthoriz...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Permissions on group File

    To properly set the permissions of /etc/group, run the command:
    $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/group
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Add nosuid Option to /var

    The <code>nosuid</code> mount option can be used to prevent execution of setuid programs in <code>/var</code>. The SUID and SGID permissions should...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Group Who Owns cron.deny

    To properly set the group owner of /etc/cron.deny, run the command:
    $ sudo chgrp root /etc/cron.deny
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Owner on cron.deny

    To properly set the owner of /etc/cron.deny, run the command:
    $ sudo chown root /etc/cron.deny 
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure that /etc/cron.allow exists

    The file /etc/cron.allow should exist and should be used instead of /etc/cron.deny.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • 389 Directory Server

    389 Directory Server is a popular open-source LDAP server for Linux.
    Group
  • Uninstall 389-ds-base Package

    The 389-ds-base RPM is not installed by default on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 system. It is needed only by the 389-ds server, not by the clients ...
    Rule Low Severity
  • The s-nail Package Is Installed

    A mail server is required for sending emails. The <code>s-nail</code> package can be installed with the following command: <pre> $ sudo dnf install...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Network Time Protocol

    The Network Time Protocol is used to manage the system clock over a network. Computer clocks are not very accurate, so time will drift unpredictabl...
    Group
  • SSH Strong MACs by FIPS

    Specify the FIPS approved MACs (Message Authentication Code) algorithms that are used for data integrity protection by the SSH server.
    Value
  • Enable SSH Server firewalld Firewall Exception

    If the SSH server is in use, inbound connections to SSH's port should be allowed to permit remote access through SSH. In more restrictive firewalld...
    Rule Medium Severity

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