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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • Ensure gpgcheck Enabled for All yum Package Repositories

    To ensure signature checking is not disabled for any repos, remove any lines from files in <code>/etc/yum.repos.d</code> of the form: <pre>gpgcheck...
    Rule High Severity
  • Ensure gpgcheck Enabled for Repository Metadata

    Verify the operating system prevents the installation of patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages w...
    Rule High 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
  • Ensure Red Hat GPG Key Installed

    To ensure the system can cryptographically verify base software packages come from Red Hat (and to connect to the Red Hat Network to receive them),...
    Rule High Severity
  • Ensure Software Patches Installed

    If the system is joined to the Red Hat Network, a Red Hat Satellite Server, or a yum server, run the following command to install updates: <pre>$ ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • 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...
    Group
  • Authselect profile

    Specify the authselect profile to select
    Value
  • Enable authselect

    Configure user authentication setup to use the <code>authselect</code> tool. If authselect profile is selected, the rule will enable the <xccdf-1.2...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • 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 logi...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    Value
  • 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
  • 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...
    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...
    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...
    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...
    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
  • tally2

    Number of failed login attempts
    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

    To properly set the permissions of /etc/issue, run the command:
    $ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/issue
    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 ...
    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 scr...
    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 confi...
    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
  • 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...
    Value
  • Install pam_pwquality Package

    The libpwquality package can be installed with the following command:
    $ sudo yum install libpwquality
    Rule Medium Severity
  • 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
  • An SELinux Context must be configured for the pam_faillock.so records directory

    The <code>dir</code> configuration option in PAM pam_faillock.so module defines where the lockout records is stored. The configured directory must ...
    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
  • Account Lockouts Must Persist

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

    Do not allow users to reuse recent passwords. This can be accomplished by using the <code>remember</code> option for the <code>pam_unix</code> or <...
    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 for Failed Password Attempts

    This rule configures the system to lock out the <code>root</code> account after a number of incorrect login attempts using <code>pam_faillock.so</c...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Lock Accounts Must Persist

    This rule ensures that the system lock out accounts using <code>pam_faillock.so</code> persist after system reboot. From "pam_faillock" man pages: ...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Enforce pam_faillock for Local Accounts Only

    The pam_faillock module's <code>local_users_only</code> parameter controls requirements for enforcing failed lockout attempts only for local user a...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Interval For Counting Failed Password Attempts

    Utilizing <code>pam_faillock.so</code>, the <code>fail_interval</code> directive configures the system to lock out an account after a number of inc...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Do Not Show System Messages When Unsuccessful Logon Attempts Occur

    This rule ensures the system prevents informative messages from being presented to the user pertaining to logon information after a number of incor...
    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_fail...
    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 pas...
    Group
  • Set Password Quality Requirements, if using pam_cracklib

    The <code>pam_cracklib</code> PAM module can be configured to meet requirements for a variety of policies. <br><br> For example, to configure <code...
    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 <cod...
    Group

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