Set SSH Client Alive Interval

An XCCDF Rule

Description

SSH allows administrators to set a network responsiveness timeout interval. After this interval has passed, the unresponsive client will be automatically logged out.

To set this timeout interval, edit the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config as follows:

ClientAliveInterval

The timeout interval is given in seconds. For example, have a timeout of 10 minutes, set interval to 600.

If a shorter timeout has already been set for the login shell, that value will preempt any SSH setting made in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Keep in mind that some processes may stop SSH from correctly detecting that the user is idle.

warning alert: Dependency Warning

SSH disconnecting unresponsive clients will not have desired effect without also configuring ClientAliveCountMax in the SSH service configuration.

warning alert: Warning

Following conditions may prevent the SSH session to time out:

Remote processes on the remote machine generates output. As the output has to be transferred over the network to the client, the timeout is reset every time such transfer happens.
Any scp or sftp activity by the same user to the host resets the timeout.

Rationale

Terminating an idle ssh session within a short time period reduces the window of opportunity for unauthorized personnel to take control of a management session enabled on the console or console port that has been let unattended.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sshd_set_idle_timeout
Severity: Medium
References: BP28(R29)

1 12 13 14 15 16 18 3 5 7 8

5.5.6

APO13.01 BAI03.01 BAI03.02 BAI03.03 DSS01.03 DSS03.05 DSS05.04 DSS05.05 DSS05.07 DSS05.10 DSS06.03 DSS06.10

3.1.11

CCI-000879 CCI-001133 CCI-002361

4.3.3.2.2 4.3.3.5.1 4.3.3.5.2 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 4.3.3.7.2 4.3.3.7.3 4.3.3.7.4 4.3.4.3.3

SR 1.1 SR 1.10 SR 1.2 SR 1.3 SR 1.4 SR 1.5 SR 1.7 SR 1.8 SR 1.9 SR 2.1 SR 6.2

A.12.4.1 A.12.4.3 A.14.1.1 A.14.2.1 A.14.2.5 A.18.1.4 A.6.1.2 A.6.1.5 A.7.1.1 A.9.1.2 A.9.2.1 A.9.2.2 A.9.2.3 A.9.2.4 A.9.2.6 A.9.3.1 A.9.4.1 A.9.4.2 A.9.4.3 A.9.4.4 A.9.4.5

CIP-004-6 R2.2.3 CIP-007-3 R5.1 CIP-007-3 R5.2 CIP-007-3 R5.3.1 CIP-007-3 R5.3.2 CIP-007-3 R5.3.3

AC-12 AC-17(a) AC-17(a) AC-2(5) CM-6(a) CM-6(a) SC-10

DE.CM-1 DE.CM-3 PR.AC-1 PR.AC-4 PR.AC-6 PR.AC-7 PR.IP-2

Req-8.1.8

8.2.8

SRG-OS-000126-GPOS-00066 SRG-OS-000163-GPOS-00072 SRG-OS-000279-GPOS-00109 SRG-OS-000395-GPOS-00175
Updated: about 1 year ago

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

sshd_idle_timeout_value='<xccdf-1.2:sub xmlns:xccdf-1.2="http://checklists.nist.gov/xccdf/1.2" idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_sshd_idle_timeout_value" use="legacy"/>'

if [ -e "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" ] ; then
    
    LC_ALL=C sed -i "/^\s*ClientAliveInterval\s\+/Id" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
else
    touch "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
fi
# make sure file has newline at the end
sed -i -e '$a\' "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"

cp "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak"
# Insert at the beginning of the file
printf '%s\n' "ClientAliveInterval $sshd_idle_timeout_value" > "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
cat "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak" >> "/etc/ssh/sshd_config"
# Clean up after ourselves.
rm "/etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak"

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

- name: XCCDF Value sshd_idle_timeout_value # promote to variable
  set_fact:
    sshd_idle_timeout_value: !!str <xccdf-1.2:sub xmlns:xccdf-1.2="http://checklists.nist.gov/xccdf/1.2" idref="xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_value_sshd_idle_timeout_value" use="legacy"/>
  tags:
    - always
- name: Set SSH Client Alive Interval
  block:

  - name: Check for duplicate values
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      create: true
      regexp: (?i)^\s*ClientAliveInterval\s+
      state: absent
    check_mode: true
    changed_when: false
    register: dupes

  - name: Deduplicate values from /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      create: true
      regexp: (?i)^\s*ClientAliveInterval\s+
      state: absent
    when: dupes.found is defined and dupes.found > 1

  - name: Insert correct line to /etc/ssh/sshd_config
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      create: true
      regexp: (?i)^\s*ClientAliveInterval\s+
      line: ClientAliveInterval {{ sshd_idle_timeout_value }}
      state: present
      insertbefore: BOF
      validate: /usr/sbin/sshd -t -f %s
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - CJIS-5.5.6
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.11
  - NIST-800-53-AC-12
  - NIST-800-53-AC-17(a)
  - NIST-800-53-AC-17(a)
  - NIST-800-53-AC-2(5)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-SC-10
  - PCI-DSS-Req-8.1.8
  - PCI-DSSv4-8.2.8
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
  - sshd_set_idle_timeout

Set SSH Client Alive Interval

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Shell Script

Remediation - Ansible