Disable ntpdate Service (ntpdate)

An XCCDF Rule

Description

The ntpdate service sets the local hardware clock by polling NTP servers when the system boots. It synchronizes to the NTP servers listed in /etc/ntp/step-tickers or /etc/ntp.conf and then sets the local hardware clock to the newly synchronized system time. The ntpdate service can be disabled with the following command:

$ sudo systemctl mask --now ntpdate.service

Rationale

The ntpdate service may only be suitable for systems which are rebooted frequently enough that clock drift does not cause problems between reboots. In any event, the functionality of the ntpdate service is now available in the ntpd program and should be considered deprecated.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_service_ntpdate_disabled
Severity: Low
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

CCI-000382

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 = ["ntpdate"]

- name: Block Disable service ntpdate
  block:

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

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

- name: Unit Socket Exists - ntpdate.socket
  command: systemctl -q list-unit-files ntpdate.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-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_ntpdate_disabled

- name: Disable socket ntpdate
  systemd:
    name: ntpdate.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("ntpdate.socket",multiline=True)
  tags:
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - disable_strategy
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - low_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - service_ntpdate_disabled

include disable_ntpdate

class disable_ntpdate {
  service {'ntpdate':
    enable => false,
    ensure => 'stopped',  }
}

Disable ntpdate Service (ntpdate)

Description

Rationale

Remediation - OS Build Blueprint

Remediation - Ansible

Remediation - Puppet