RHEL 8 must not permit direct logons to the root account using remote access via SSH.
An XCCDF Rule
Description
<VulnDiscussion>Even though the communications channel may be encrypted, an additional layer of security is gained by extending the policy of not logging on directly as root. In addition, logging on with a user-specific account provides individual accountability of actions performed on the system.</VulnDiscussion><FalsePositives></FalsePositives><FalseNegatives></FalseNegatives><Documentable>false</Documentable><Mitigations></Mitigations><SeverityOverrideGuidance></SeverityOverrideGuidance><PotentialImpacts></PotentialImpacts><ThirdPartyTools></ThirdPartyTools><MitigationControl></MitigationControl><Responsibility></Responsibility><IAControls></IAControls>
- ID
- SV-230296r1017107_rule
- Severity
- Medium
- References
- Updated
Remediation - Manual Procedure
Configure RHEL 8 to stop users from logging on remotely as the "root" user via SSH.
Edit the appropriate "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" file to uncomment or add the line for the "PermitRootLogin" keyword and set its value to "no":
PermitRootLogin no