Skip to content

Ensure Users Cannot Change GNOME3 Session Idle Settings

An XCCDF Rule

Description

If not already configured, ensure that users cannot change GNOME3 session idle settings by adding /org/gnome/desktop/session/idle-delay to /etc/dconf/db/local.d/locks/00-security-settings-lock to prevent user modification. For example:

/org/gnome/desktop/session/idle-delay
After the settings have been set, run dconf update.

Rationale

A session time-out lock 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 the temporary nature of the absence. Rather than relying on the user to manually lock their operating system session prior to vacating the vicinity, GNOME desktops can be configured to identify when a user's session has idled and take action to initiate the session lock. As such, users should not be allowed to change session settings.

ID
xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_dconf_gnome_session_idle_user_locks
Severity
Medium
References
Updated



Remediation - Ansible

- name: Gather the package facts
  package_facts:
    manager: auto
  tags:
  - DISA-STIG-OL08-00-020081
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.10

Remediation - Shell Script

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if rpm --quiet -q gdm && { [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ]; }; then

# Check for setting in any of the DConf db directories
LOCKFILES=$(grep -r "^/org/gnome/desktop/session/idle-delay$" "/etc/dconf/db/" \
            | grep -v 'distro\|ibus\|local.d' | grep ":" | cut -d":" -f1)