The noexec mount option can be used to prevent binaries
from being executed out of /var/log.
Add the noexec option to the fourth column of
/etc/fstab for the line which controls mounting of
/var/log.
Rationale
Allowing users to execute binaries from directories containing log files
such as /var/log should never be necessary in normal operation and
can expose the system to potential compromise.
- name: 'Add noexec Option to /var/log: Check information associated to mountpoint'
command: findmnt --fstab '/var/log'
register: device_name
failed_when: device_name.rc > 1
changed_when: false
when: ( ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman",
"container"] and "/var/log" in ansible_mounts | map(attribute="mount") | list
)
tags:
- NIST-800-53-AC-6
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
- NIST-800-53-MP-7
- configure_strategy
- high_disruption
- low_complexity
- medium_severity
- mount_option_var_log_noexec
- no_reboot_needed
- name: 'Add noexec Option to /var/log: Create mount_info dictionary variable'
set_fact:
mount_info: '{{ mount_info|default({})|combine({item.0: item.1}) }}'
with_together:
- '{{ device_name.stdout_lines[0].split() | list | lower }}'
- '{{ device_name.stdout_lines[1].split() | list }}'
when:
- ( ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
and "/var/log" in ansible_mounts | map(attribute="mount") | list )
- device_name.stdout is defined and device_name.stdout_lines is defined
- (device_name.stdout | length > 0)
tags:
- NIST-800-53-AC-6
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
- NIST-800-53-MP-7
- configure_strategy
- high_disruption
- low_complexity
- medium_severity
- mount_option_var_log_noexec
- no_reboot_needed
- name: 'Add noexec Option to /var/log: If /var/log not mounted, craft mount_info
manually'
set_fact:
mount_info: '{{ mount_info|default({})|combine({item.0: item.1}) }}'
with_together:
- - target
- source
- fstype
- options
- - /var/log
- ''
- ''
- defaults
when:
- ( ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
and "/var/log" in ansible_mounts | map(attribute="mount") | list )
- ("--fstab" | length == 0)
- device_name.stdout is defined and device_name.stdout_lines is defined
- (device_name.stdout | length == 0)
tags:
- NIST-800-53-AC-6
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
- NIST-800-53-MP-7
- configure_strategy
- high_disruption
- low_complexity
- medium_severity
- mount_option_var_log_noexec
- no_reboot_needed
- name: 'Add noexec Option to /var/log: Make sure noexec option is part of the to
/var/log options'
set_fact:
mount_info: '{{ mount_info | combine( {''options'':''''~mount_info.options~'',noexec''
}) }}'
when:
- ( ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
and "/var/log" in ansible_mounts | map(attribute="mount") | list )
- mount_info is defined and "noexec" not in mount_info.options
tags:
- NIST-800-53-AC-6
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
- NIST-800-53-MP-7
- configure_strategy
- high_disruption
- low_complexity
- medium_severity
- mount_option_var_log_noexec
- no_reboot_needed
- name: 'Add noexec Option to /var/log: Ensure /var/log is mounted with noexec option'
mount:
path: /var/log
src: '{{ mount_info.source }}'
opts: '{{ mount_info.options }}'
state: mounted
fstype: '{{ mount_info.fstype }}'
when:
- ( ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
and "/var/log" in ansible_mounts | map(attribute="mount") | list )
- mount_info is defined
- (device_name.stdout is defined and (device_name.stdout | length > 0)) or ("--fstab"
| length == 0)
tags:
- NIST-800-53-AC-6
- NIST-800-53-AC-6(1)
- NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
- NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
- NIST-800-53-MP-7
- configure_strategy
- high_disruption
- low_complexity
- medium_severity
- mount_option_var_log_noexec
- no_reboot_needed
Remediation - Shell Script
# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if ( [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ] && findmnt --kernel "/var/log" > /dev/null || findmnt --fstab "/var/log" > /dev/null ); then
function perform_remediation {
# the mount point /var/log has to be defined in /etc/fstab
# before this remediation can be executed. In case it is not defined, the
# remediation aborts and no changes regarding the mount point are done.
mount_point_match_regexp="$(printf "^[[:space:]]*[^#].*[[:space:]]%s[[:space:]]" "/var/log")"
grep "$mount_point_match_regexp" -q /etc/fstab \
|| { echo "The mount point '/var/log' is not even in /etc/fstab, so we can't set up mount options" >&2;
echo "Not remediating, because there is no record of /var/log in /etc/fstab" >&2; return 1; }
mount_point_match_regexp="$(printf "^[[:space:]]*[^#].*[[:space:]]%s[[:space:]]" /var/log)"
# If the mount point is not in /etc/fstab, get previous mount options from /etc/mtab
if ! grep -q "$mount_point_match_regexp" /etc/fstab; then
# runtime opts without some automatic kernel/userspace-added defaults
previous_mount_opts=$(grep "$mount_point_match_regexp" /etc/mtab | head -1 | awk '{print $4}' \
| sed -E "s/(rw|defaults|seclabel|noexec)(,|$)//g;s/,$//")
[ "$previous_mount_opts" ] && previous_mount_opts+=","
# In iso9660 filesystems mtab could describe a "blocksize" value, this should be reflected in
# fstab as "block". The next variable is to satisfy shellcheck SC2050.
fs_type=""
if [ "$fs_type" == "iso9660" ] ; then
previous_mount_opts=$(sed 's/blocksize=/block=/' <<< "$previous_mount_opts")
fi
echo " /var/log defaults,${previous_mount_opts}noexec 0 0" >> /etc/fstab
# If the mount_opt option is not already in the mount point's /etc/fstab entry, add it
elif ! grep "$mount_point_match_regexp" /etc/fstab | grep -q "noexec"; then
previous_mount_opts=$(grep "$mount_point_match_regexp" /etc/fstab | awk '{print $4}')
sed -i "s|\(${mount_point_match_regexp}.*${previous_mount_opts}\)|\1,noexec|" /etc/fstab
fi
if mkdir -p "/var/log"; then
if mountpoint -q "/var/log"; then
mount -o remount --target "/var/log"
fi
fi
}
perform_remediation
else
>&2 echo 'Remediation is not applicable, nothing was done'
fi