Disable xinetd Service

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The xinetd service can be disabled with the following command:

$ sudo systemctl mask --now xinetd.service

Rationale

The xinetd service provides a dedicated listener service for some programs, which is no longer necessary for commonly-used network services. Disabling it ensures that these uncommon services are not running, and also prevents attacks against xinetd itself.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_service_xinetd_disabled
Severity: Medium
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

3.4.7

CCI-000305

164.308(a)(4)(i) 164.308(b)(1) 164.308(b)(3) 164.310(b) 164.312(e)(1) 164.312(e)(2)(ii)

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 year ago


[customizations.services]
disabled = ["xinetd"]

- name: Block Disable service xinetd
  block:

  - name: Disable service xinetd
    block:
    - name: Disable service xinetd
      systemd:
        name: xinetd.service
        enabled: 'no'
        state: stopped
        masked: 'yes'
    rescue:

    - name: Intentionally ignored previous 'Disable service xinetd' failure, service
        was already disabled
      meta: noop
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.7
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_xinetd_disabled

- name: Unit Socket Exists - xinetd.socket
  command: systemctl -q list-unit-files xinetd.socket
  register: socket_file_exists
  changed_when: false
  failed_when: socket_file_exists.rc not in [0, 1]
  check_mode: false
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.7
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_xinetd_disabled

- name: Disable socket xinetd
  systemd:
    name: xinetd.socket
    enabled: 'no'
    state: stopped
    masked: 'yes'
  when:
  - ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  - socket_file_exists.stdout_lines is search("xinetd.socket",multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.4.7
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_xinetd_disabled

# Remediation is applicable only in certain platforms
if [ ! -f /.dockerenv ] && [ ! -f /run/.containerenv ]; then

SYSTEMCTL_EXEC='/usr/bin/systemctl'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'xinetd.service'
"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" disable 'xinetd.service'"$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'xinetd.service'
# Disable socket activation if we have a unit file for it
if "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" -q list-unit-files xinetd.socket; then
    "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" stop 'xinetd.socket'
    "$SYSTEMCTL_EXEC" mask 'xinetd.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 'xinetd.service' || true

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

include disable_xinetd

class disable_xinetd {
  service {'xinetd':
    enable => false,
    ensure => 'stopped',  }
}

Disable xinetd Service

Description

Rationale

Remediation - OS Build Blueprint

Remediation - Ansible

Remediation - Shell Script

Remediation - Puppet