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Guide to the Secure Configuration of Debian 10

Rules, Groups, and Values defined within the XCCDF Benchmark

  • 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
  • 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>pam_cracklib</code> to require at least one upper...
    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 <code>pam_pwquality</code> to require at least one upp...
    Group
  • dcredit

    Minimum number of digits in password
    Value
  • dictcheck

    Prevent the use of dictionary words for passwords.
    Value
  • difok

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

    Minimum number of lower case in password
    Value
  • maxclassrepeat

    Maximum Number of Consecutive Repeating Characters in a Password From the Same Character Class
    Value
  • maxrepeat

    Maximum Number of Consecutive Repeating Characters in a Password
    Value
  • minclass

    Minimum number of categories of characters that must exist in a password
    Value
  • minlen

    Minimum number of characters in password
    Value
  • ocredit

    Minimum number of other (special characters) in password
    Value
  • retry

    Number of retry attempts before erroring out
    Value
  • ucredit

    Minimum number of upper case in password
    Value
  • Set Password Hashing Algorithm

    The system's default algorithm for storing password hashes in /etc/shadow is SHA-512. This can be configured in several locations.
    Group
  • 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
  • Configure Screen Locking

    When a user must temporarily leave an account logged-in, screen locking should be employed to prevent passersby from abusing the account. User education and training is particularly important for s...
    Group
  • 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
  • OpenSC Smart Card Drivers

    Choose the Smart Card Driver in use by your organization. <br>For DoD, choose the <code>cac</code> driver. <br>If your driver is not listed and you don't want to use the <code>default</code> driver...
    Value
  • 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
  • Accounts Authorized Local Users on the Operating System

    List the user accounts that are authorized locally on the operating system. This list includes both users requried by the operating system and by the installed applications. Depending on the Operat...
    Value
  • Set Account Expiration Parameters

    Accounts can be configured to be automatically disabled after a certain time period, meaning that they will require administrator interaction to become usable again. Expiration of accounts after in...
    Group
  • number of days after the last login of the user when the user will be locked out

    'This option is specific for the auth or account phase. It specifies the number of days after the last login of the user when the user will be locked out by the pam_lastlog module.'
    Value
  • number of days after a password expires until the account is permanently disabled

    The number of days to wait after a password expires, until the account will be permanently disabled.
    Value
  • Ensure All Accounts on the System Have Unique Names

    Ensure accounts on the system have unique names. To ensure all accounts have unique names, run the following command: <pre>$ sudo getent passwd | awk -F: '{ print $1}' | uniq -d</pre> If a usernam...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Use Centralized and Automated Authentication

    Implement an automated system for managing user accounts that minimizes the risk of errors, either intentional or deliberate. This system should integrate with an existing enterprise user managemen...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Expiration Parameters

    The file <code>/etc/login.defs</code> controls several password-related settings. Programs such as <code>passwd</code>, <code>su</code>, and <code>login</code> consult <code>/etc/login.defs</code> ...
    Group
  • maximum password age

    Maximum age of password in days
    Value
  • minimum password age

    Minimum age of password in days
    Value
  • minimum password length

    Minimum number of characters in password
    Value
  • warning days before password expires

    The number of days' warning given before a password expires.
    Value
  • Set Password Maximum Age

    To specify password maximum age for new accounts, edit the file <code>/etc/login.defs</code> and add or correct the following line: <pre>PASS_MAX_DAYS <xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.con...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Minimum Age

    To specify password minimum age for new accounts, edit the file <code>/etc/login.defs</code> and add or correct the following line: <pre>PASS_MIN_DAYS <xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.con...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Minimum Length in login.defs

    To specify password length requirements for new accounts, edit the file <code>/etc/login.defs</code> and add or correct the following line: <pre>PASS_MIN_LEN <xccdf-1.2:sub idref="xccdf_org.ssgproj...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Set Password Warning Age

    To specify how many days prior to password expiration that a warning will be issued to users, edit the file <code>/etc/login.defs</code> and add or correct the following line: <pre>PASS_WARN_AGE <...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Verify Root Has A Primary GID 0

    The root user should have a primary group of 0.
    Rule High Severity
  • Verify Proper Storage and Existence of Password Hashes

    By default, password hashes for local accounts are stored in the second field (colon-separated) in <code>/etc/shadow</code>. This file should be readable only by processes running with root credent...
    Group
  • Password Hashing algorithm

    Specify the number of SHA rounds for the system password encryption algorithm. Defines the value set in /etc/pam.d/system-auth and /etc/pam.d/password-auth
    Value
  • Verify All Account Password Hashes are Shadowed

    If any password hashes are stored in <code>/etc/passwd</code> (in the second field, instead of an <code>x</code> or <code>*</code>), the cause of this misconfiguration should be investigated. The a...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Ensure all users last password change date is in the past

    All users should have a password change date in the past.
    Rule Medium Severity
  • All GIDs referenced in /etc/passwd must be defined in /etc/group

    Add a group to the system for each GID referenced without a corresponding group.
    Rule Low Severity
  • Prevent Login to Accounts With Empty Password

    If an account is configured for password authentication but does not have an assigned password, it may be possible to log into the account without authentication. Remove any instances of the <code>...
    Rule High 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
  • Verify No netrc Files Exist

    The <code>.netrc</code> files contain login information used to auto-login into FTP servers and reside in the user's home directory. These files may contain unencrypted passwords to remote FTP serv...
    Rule Medium Severity
  • Restrict Root Logins

    Direct root logins should be allowed only for emergency use. In normal situations, the administrator should access the system via a unique unprivileged account, and then use <code>su</code> or <cod...
    Group
  • Group Name Used by pam_wheel Group Parameter

    pam_wheel module has a parameter called group, which controls which groups can access the su command. This variable holds the valid value for the parameter.
    Value
  • Verify Only Root Has UID 0

    If any account other than root has a UID of 0, this misconfiguration should be investigated and the accounts other than root should be removed or have their UID changed. <br> If the account is asso...
    Rule High Severity
  • cron_can_relabel SELinux Boolean

    default - Default SELinux boolean setting.
    on - SELinux boolean is enabled.
    off - SELinux boolean is disabled.
    Value
  • Direct root Logins Not Allowed

    To further limit access to the <code>root</code> account, administrators can disable root logins at the console by editing the <code>/etc/securetty</code> file. This file lists all devices the root...
    Rule Medium Severity

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