Disable Network Console (netconsole)

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The netconsole service is responsible for loading the netconsole kernel module, which logs kernel printk messages over UDP to a syslog server. This allows debugging of problems where disk logging fails and serial consoles are impractical. The netconsole service can be disabled with the following command:

$ sudo systemctl mask --now netconsole.service

Rationale

The netconsole service is not necessary unless there is a need to debug kernel panics, which is not common.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_service_netconsole_disabled
Severity: Low
References: 11 12 14 15 3 8 9

APO13.01 BAI10.01 BAI10.02 BAI10.03 BAI10.05 DSS01.04 DSS05.02 DSS05.03 DSS05.05 DSS06.06

CCI-000381

4.3.3.5.1 4.3.3.5.2 4.3.3.5.3 4.3.3.5.4 4.3.3.5.5 4.3.3.5.6 4.3.3.5.7 4.3.3.5.8 4.3.3.6.1 4.3.3.6.2 4.3.3.6.3 4.3.3.6.4 4.3.3.6.5 4.3.3.6.6 4.3.3.6.7 4.3.3.6.8 4.3.3.6.9 4.3.3.7.1 4.3.3.7.2 4.3.3.7.3 4.3.3.7.4 4.3.4.3.2 4.3.4.3.3

SR 1.1 SR 1.10 SR 1.11 SR 1.12 SR 1.13 SR 1.2 SR 1.3 SR 1.4 SR 1.5 SR 1.6 SR 1.7 SR 1.8 SR 1.9 SR 2.1 SR 2.2 SR 2.3 SR 2.4 SR 2.5 SR 2.6 SR 2.7 SR 3.1 SR 3.5 SR 3.8 SR 4.1 SR 4.3 SR 5.1 SR 5.2 SR 5.3 SR 7.1 SR 7.6

A.11.2.6 A.12.1.2 A.12.5.1 A.12.6.2 A.13.1.1 A.13.2.1 A.14.1.3 A.14.2.2 A.14.2.3 A.14.2.4 A.6.2.1 A.6.2.2 A.9.1.2

CM-6(a) CM-7(a) CM-7(b)

PR.AC-3 PR.IP-1 PR.PT-3 PR.PT-4
Updated: about 1 month ago

Remediation Templates

include disable_netconsole
class disable_netconsole {
  service {'netconsole':
    enable => false,
    ensure => 'stopped',
  }
}

[customizations.services]
masked = ["netconsole"]

apiVersion: machineconfiguration.openshift.io/v1
kind: MachineConfig
spec:
  config:
    ignition:
      version: 3.1.0    systemd:
      units:
      - name: netconsole.service
        enabled: false
        mask: true
      - name: netconsole.socket
        enabled: false
        mask: true

- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_netconsole_disabled
- name: Disable Network Console (netconsole) - Collect systemd Services Present in
    the System
  ansible.builtin.command: systemctl -q list-unit-files --type service
  register: service_exists
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: service_exists.rc not in [0, 1]
  check_mode: false
  when: '"kernel" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_netconsole_disabled

- name: Disable Network Console (netconsole) - Ensure netconsole.service is Masked
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: netconsole.service
    state: stopped
    enabled: false
    masked: true
  when:
  - '"kernel" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - service_exists.stdout_lines is search("netconsole.service", multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_netconsole_disabled

- name: Unit Socket Exists - netconsole.socket
  ansible.builtin.command: systemctl -q list-unit-files netconsole.socket
  register: socket_file_exists
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: socket_file_exists.rc not in [0, 1]
  check_mode: false
  when: '"kernel" in ansible_facts.packages'
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_netconsole_disabled

- name: Disable Network Console (netconsole) - Disable Socket netconsole
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: netconsole.socket
    enabled: false
    state: stopped
    masked: true
  when:
  - '"kernel" in ansible_facts.packages'
  - socket_file_exists.stdout_lines is search("netconsole.socket", multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_netconsole_disabled

service disable netconsole

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if rpm --quiet -q kernel; then
SYSTEMCTL_EXEC='/usr/bin/systemctl'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'netconsole.service'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" disable 'netconsole.service'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'netconsole.service'# Disable socket activation if we have a unit file for it
if "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" -q list-unit-files netconsole.socket; then
    "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'netconsole.socket'
    "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'netconsole.socket'
fi
# The service may not be running because it has been started and failed,
# so let's reset the state so OVAL checks pass.
# Service should be 'inactive', not 'failed' after reboot though.
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" reset-failed 'netconsole.service' || true

else
    >&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi

Disable Network Console (netconsole)

Description

Rationale

Remediation Templates

A Puppet Snippet

OS Build Blueprint

A Kubernetes Patch

An Ansible Snippet

script:kickstart

A Shell Script