Configure Time Service Maxpoll Interval

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The maxpoll should be configured to in /etc/ntp.conf or /etc/chrony.conf to continuously poll time servers. To configure maxpoll in /etc/ntp.conf or /etc/chrony.conf add the following after each `server`, `pool` or `peer` entry:

maxpoll

server

directives. If using chrony any

pool

directives should be configured too. If no server or pool directives are configured, the rule evaluates to pass.

Note that if the remediation shipping with this content is being used, the MachineConfig shipped does not include reference NTP servers to point to. It is up to the admin to set these which will vary depending on the cluster's requirements.

The aforementioned remediation does include the directory /etc/chrony.d which would allow the creation of configuration files to set these servers.

If we'd like to set a configuration like the following:

pool 2.rhel.pool.ntp.org iburst

server 0.rhel.pool.ntp.org minpoll 4 maxpoll 10
server 1.rhel.pool.ntp.org minpoll 4 maxpoll 10
server 2.rhel.pool.ntp.org minpoll 4 maxpoll 10
server 3.rhel.pool.ntp.org minpoll 4 maxpoll 10

This could be done with to the following manifest:

apiVersion: machineconfiguration.openshift.io/v1
kind: MachineConfig
metadata:
  labels:
    machineconfiguration.openshift.io/role: master
  name: 75-master-chrony-servers
spec:
  config:
    ignition:
      version: 3.1.0
    storage:
      files:
      - contents:
          source: data:,pool%202.rhel.pool.ntp.org%20iburst%0A%0Aserver%200.rhel.pool.ntp.org%20minpoll%204%20maxpoll%2010%0Aserver%201.rhel.pool.ntp.org%20minpoll%204%20maxpoll%2010%0Aserver%202.rhel.pool.ntp.org%20minpoll%204%20maxpoll%2010%0Aserver%203.rhel.pool.ntp.org%20minpoll%204%20maxpoll%2010
        mode: 0600
        path: /etc/chrony.d/10-rhel-pool-and-servers.conf
        overwrite: true

Note that this needs to be done for each

MachineConfigPool

Rationale

Inaccurate time stamps make it more difficult to correlate events and can lead to an inaccurate analysis. Determining the correct time a particular event occurred on a system is critical when conducting forensic analysis and investigating system events. Sources outside the configured acceptable allowance (drift) may be inaccurate. Synchronizing internal information system clocks provides uniformity of time stamps for information systems with multiple system clocks and systems connected over a network. Organizations should consider endpoints that may not have regular access to the authoritative time server (e.g., mobile, teleworking, and tactical endpoints).

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_chronyd_or_ntpd_set_maxpoll
Severity: Medium
References: 1 14 15 16 3 5 6

APO11.04 BAI03.05 DSS05.04 DSS05.07 MEA02.01

CCI-001891 CCI-002046

4.3.3.3.9 4.3.3.5.8 4.3.4.4.7 4.4.2.1 4.4.2.2 4.4.2.4

SR 2.10 SR 2.11 SR 2.12 SR 2.8 SR 2.9

A.12.4.1 A.12.4.2 A.12.4.3 A.12.4.4 A.12.7.1

AU-12(1) AU-8(1)(b) CM-6(a)

PR.PT-1

SRG-OS-000355-GPOS-00143 SRG-OS-000356-GPOS-00144 SRG-OS-000359-GPOS-00146

CCE-82684-2
Updated: about 1 year ago

---
apiVersion: machineconfiguration.openshift.io/v1
kind: MachineConfig
spec:
  config:
    ignition:      version: 3.1.0
    storage:
      files:
      - contents:
          source: data:,{{ %23%20Allow%20for%20extra%20configuration%20files.%20This%20is%20useful%0A%23%20for%20admins%20specifying%20their%20own%20NTP%20servers%0Ainclude%20/etc/chrony.d/%2A.conf%0A%0A%23%20Set%20chronyd%20as%20client-only.%0Aport%200%0A%0A%23%20Disable%20chronyc%20from%20the%20network%0Acmdport%200%0A%0A%23%20Record%20the%20rate%20at%20which%20the%20system%20clock%20gains/losses%20time.%0Adriftfile%20/var/lib/chrony/drift%0A%0A%23%20Allow%20the%20system%20clock%20to%20be%20stepped%20in%20the%20first%20three%20updates%0A%23%20if%20its%20offset%20is%20larger%20than%201%20second.%0Amakestep%201.0%203%0A%0A%23%20Enable%20kernel%20synchronization%20of%20the%20real-time%20clock%20%28RTC%29.%0Artcsync%0A%0A%23%20Enable%20hardware%20timestamping%20on%20all%20interfaces%20that%20support%20it.%0A%23hwtimestamp%20%2A%0A%0A%23%20Increase%20the%20minimum%20number%20of%20selectable%20sources%20required%20to%20adjust%0A%23%20the%20system%20clock.%0A%23minsources%202%0A%0A%23%20Allow%20NTP%20client%20access%20from%20local%20network.%0A%23allow%20192.168.0.0/16%0A%0A%23%20Serve%20time%20even%20if%20not%20synchronized%20to%20a%20time%20source.%0A%23local%20stratum%2010%0A%0A%23%20Require%20authentication%20%28nts%20or%20key%20option%29%20for%20all%20NTP%20sources.%0A%23authselectmode%20require%0A%0A%23%20Specify%20file%20containing%20keys%20for%20NTP%20authentication.%0Akeyfile%20/etc/chrony.keys%0A%0A%23%20Insert/delete%20leap%20seconds%20by%20slewing%20instead%20of%20stepping.%0A%23leapsecmode%20slew%0A%0A%23%20Get%20TAI-UTC%20offset%20and%20leap%20seconds%20from%20the%20system%20tz%20database.%0Aleapsectz%20right/UTC%0A%0A%23%20Specify%20directory%20for%20log%20files.%0Alogdir%20/var/log/chrony%0A%0A%23%20Select%20which%20information%20is%20logged.%0A%23log%20measurements%20statistics%20tracking }}
        mode: 420
        overwrite: true
        path: /etc/chrony.conf
      - contents:
          source: data:,
        mode: 420
        overwrite: true
        path: /etc/chrony.d/.mco-keep
      - contents:
          source: data:,{{ %23%0A%23%20This%20file%20controls%20the%20configuration%20of%20the%20ntp%20server%0A%23%20%7B%7B.var_multiple_time_servers%7D%7D%20we%20have%20to%20put%20variable%20array%20name%20here%20for%20mutilines%20remediation%0A%7B%7B%24var_time_service_set_maxpoll%3A%3D.var_time_service_set_maxpoll%7D%7D%0A%7B%7Brange%20%24element%3A%3D.var_multiple_time_servers%7CtoArrayByComma%7D%7Dserver%20%7B%7B%24element%7D%7D%20minpoll%204%20maxpoll%20%7B%7B%24var_time_service_set_maxpoll%7D%7D%0A%7B%7Bend%7D%7D }}
        mode: 420
        overwrite: true
        path: /etc/chrony.d/ntp-server.conf

Configure Time Service Maxpoll Interval

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Kubernetes Patch