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Guide to the Secure Configuration of SUSE Linux Enterprise 12

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • Enable dnf-automatic Timer

    The dnf-automatic timer can be enabled with the following command:
    $ sudo systemctl enable dnf-automatic.timer
    Rule Medium 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
  • 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
  • fail_interval

    Interval for counting failed login attempts before account lockout
    Value
  • 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
  • fail_unlock_time

    Seconds before automatic unlocking or permanently locking after excessive failed logins
    Value
  • 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
  • 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
  • Implement a GUI Warning Banner

    In the default graphical environment, users logging directly into the system are greeted with a login screen provided by the GNOME Display Manager (GDM). The warning banner should be displayed in t...
    Group
  • Enable GNOME3 Login Warning Banner

    In the default graphical environment, displaying a login warning banner in the GNOME Display Manager's login screen can be enabled on the login screen by setting <code>banner-message-enable</code> ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • tally2_unlock_time

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

    Delay next login attempt after a failed login
    Value
  • pwhistory_remember

    Prevent password re-use using password history lookup
    Value
  • Display the Standard Mandatory DoD Notice and Consent Banner until Explicit Acknowledgement

    Display of a standardized and approved use notification before granting access to the SUSE operating system ensures privacy and security notification verbiage used is consistent with applicable fed...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Password Hashing algorithm

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

    The last n passwords for each user are saved in <code>/etc/security/opasswd</code> in order to force password change history and keep the user from alternating between the same password too frequen...
    Value
  • Disallow Configuration to Bypass Password Requirements for Privilege Escalation

    Verify the operating system is not configured to bypass password requirements for privilege escalation. Check the configuration of the "/etc/pam.d/sudo" file with the following command: <pre>$ sudo...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Up a Private Namespace in PAM Configuration

    To setup a private namespace add the following line to /etc/pam.d/login:
    session    required     pam_namespace.so
    Rule Low Severity
  • The PAM configuration should not be changed automatically

    Verify the SUSE operating system is configured to not overwrite Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) configuration on package changes.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Account Lockouts Must Persist

    By setting a `dir` in the faillock configuration account lockouts will persist across reboots.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Limit Password Reuse

    Do not allow users to reuse recent passwords. This can be accomplished by using the remember option for the pam_unix or pam_pwhistory PAM modules.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Enforce Delay After Failed Logon Attempts

    To configure the system to introduce a delay after failed logon attempts, add or correct the <code>pam_faildelay</code> settings in <code>/etc/pam.d/common-auth</code> to make sure its <code>delay<...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Account Lockouts Must Be Logged

    PAM faillock locks an account due to excessive password failures, this event must be logged.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Configure the root Account lock for Failed Password Attempts via pam_tally2

    This rule configures the system to lock out the root account after a number of incorrect login attempts using pam_tally2.so.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Lockout Time for Failed Password Attempts using pam_tally2

    This rule configures the system to lock out accounts during a specified time period after a number of incorrect login attempts using pam_tally2.so.
    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
  • 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. <br> <br> By default, single-user mode is ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • dcredit

    Minimum number of digits in password
    Value
  • Set Password Strength Minimum Digit Characters

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>dcredit</code> 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 d...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Strength Minimum Different Characters

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>difok</code> parameter controls requirements for usage of different characters during a password change. The number of changed characters refers to the number of cha...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Strength Minimum Lowercase Characters

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>lcredit=</code> parameter controls requirements for usage of lowercase letters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to contain...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Minimum Length

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>minlen</code> parameter controls requirements for minimum characters required in a password. Add <code>minlen=<xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_valu...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Strength Minimum Special Characters

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>ocredit=</code> parameter controls requirements for usage of special (or ``other'') characters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be req...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Retry Limit

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>retry</code> parameter controls the maximum number of times to prompt the user for the password before returning with error. Make sure it is configured with a value ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Strength Minimum Uppercase Characters

    The pam_cracklib module's <code>ucredit=</code> parameter controls requirements for usage of uppercase letters in a password. When set to a negative number, any password will be required to contain...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • difok

    Minimum number of characters not present in old password
    Value
  • lcredit

    Minimum number of lower case in password
    Value
  • Set Password Hashing Algorithm in /etc/libuser.conf

    In <code>/etc/libuser.conf</code>, add or correct the following line in its <code>[defaults]</code> section to ensure the system will use the <xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_valu...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Hashing Algorithm in /etc/login.defs

    In <code>/etc/login.defs</code>, add or update the following line to ensure the system will use <xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_var_password_hashing_algorithm" use="legacy"...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Hashing Rounds in /etc/login.defs

    In <code>/etc/login.defs</code>, ensure <code>SHA_CRYPT_MIN_ROUNDS</code> and <code>SHA_CRYPT_MAX_ROUNDS</code> has the minimum value of <code>5000</code>. For example: <pre>SHA_CRYPT_MIN_ROUNDS 50...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Protect Physical Console Access

    It is impossible to fully protect a system from an attacker with physical access, so securing the space in which the system is located should be considered a necessary step. However, there are some...
    Group
  • Login timeout for idle sessions

    Specify duration of allowed idle time.
    Value
  • Disable Ctrl-Alt-Del Reboot Activation

    By default, <code>SystemD</code> will reboot the system if the <code>Ctrl-Alt-Del</code> key sequence is pressed. <br> <br> To configure the system to ignore the <code>Ctrl-Alt-Del</code> k...
    Rule High Severity
  • Configure Console Screen Locking

    A console screen locking mechanism is a temporary action taken when a user stops work and moves away from the immediate physical vicinity of the information system but does not logout because of th...
    Group
  • Hardware Tokens for Authentication

    The use of hardware tokens such as smart cards for system login provides stronger, two-factor authentication than using a username and password. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers and workstation...
    Group

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