Disable chrony daemon from acting as server

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The port option in /etc/chrony.conf can be set to 0 to make chrony daemon to never open any listening port for server operation and to operate strictly in a client-only mode.

Rationale

In order to prevent unauthorized connection of devices, unauthorized transfer of information, or unauthorized tunneling (i.e., embedding of data types within data types), organizations must disable or restrict unused or unnecessary physical and logical ports/protocols on information systems. Operating systems are capable of providing a wide variety of functions and services. Some of the functions and services provided by default may not be necessary to support essential organizational operations. Additionally, it is sometimes convenient to provide multiple services from a single component (e.g., VPN and IPS); however, doing so increases risk over limiting the services provided by any one component. To support the requirements and principles of least functionality, the operating system must support the organizational requirements, providing only essential capabilities and limiting the use of ports, protocols, and/or services to only those required, authorized, and approved to conduct official business or to address authorized quality of life issues.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_chronyd_client_only
Severity: Low
References: CCI-000381

AU-12(1) AU-8(1)

FMT_SMF_EXT.1

SRG-OS-000095-GPOS-00049 SRG-OS-000096-GPOS-00050

CCE-87543-5

RHEL-09-252025

SV-257946r925825_rule
Updated: about 1 year ago

- name: Disable chrony daemon from acting as server
  block:

  - name: Check for duplicate values
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/chrony.conf      create: true
      regexp: ^\s*port\s+
      state: absent
    check_mode: true
    changed_when: false
    register: dupes

  - name: Deduplicate values from /etc/chrony.conf
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/chrony.conf
      create: true
      regexp: ^\s*port\s+
      state: absent
    when: dupes.found is defined and dupes.found > 1

  - name: Insert correct line to /etc/chrony.conf
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/chrony.conf
      create: true
      regexp: ^\s*port\s+
      line: port 0
      state: present
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - CCE-87543-5
  - DISA-STIG-RHEL-09-252025
  - NIST-800-53-AU-12(1)
  - NIST-800-53-AU-8(1)
  - chronyd_client_only
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy

---
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

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

# Strip any search characters in the key arg so that the key can be replaced without
# adding any search characters to the config file.
stripped_key=$(sed 's/[\^=\$,;+]*//g' <<< "^port")
# shellcheck disable=SC2059
printf -v formatted_output "%s %s" "$stripped_key" "0"

# If the key exists, change it. Otherwise, add it to the config_file.
# We search for the key string followed by a word boundary (matched by \>),
# so if we search for 'setting', 'setting2' won't match.
if LC_ALL=C grep -q -m 1 -i -e "^port\\>" "/etc/chrony.conf"; then
    escaped_formatted_output=$(sed -e 's|/|\\/|g' <<< "$formatted_output")
    LC_ALL=C sed -i --follow-symlinks "s/^port\\>.*/$escaped_formatted_output/gi" "/etc/chrony.conf"
else
    if [[ -s "/etc/chrony.conf" ]] && [[ -n "$(tail -c 1 -- "/etc/chrony.conf" || true)" ]]; then
        LC_ALL=C sed -i --follow-symlinks '$a'\\ "/etc/chrony.conf"
    fi
    cce="CCE-87543-5"
    printf '# Per %s: Set %s in %s\n' "${cce}" "${formatted_output}" "/etc/chrony.conf" >> "/etc/chrony.conf"
    printf '%s\n' "$formatted_output" >> "/etc/chrony.conf"
fi

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

Disable chrony daemon from acting as server

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Ansible

Remediation - Kubernetes Patch

Remediation - Shell Script