Disable SSH Support for User Known Hosts

An XCCDF Rule

Description

SSH can allow system users to connect to systems if a cache of the remote systems public keys is available. This should be disabled.

To ensure this behavior is disabled, add or correct the following line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

IgnoreUserKnownHosts yes

Rationale

Configuring this setting for the SSH daemon provides additional assurance that remote login via SSH will require a password, even in the event of misconfiguration elsewhere.

ID: xccdf_org.ssgproject.content_rule_sshd_disable_user_known_hosts
Severity: Medium
References: 11 3 9

BAI10.01 BAI10.02 BAI10.03 BAI10.05

3.1.12

CCI-000366

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)

4.3.4.3.2 4.3.4.3.3

SR 7.6

A.12.1.2 A.12.5.1 A.12.6.2 A.14.2.2 A.14.2.3 A.14.2.4

AC-17(a) CM-6(a) CM-7(a) CM-7(b)

PR.IP-1

FIA_UAU.1

SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227
Updated: about 1 year ago

- name: Disable SSH Support for User Known Hosts
  block:

  - name: Check for duplicate values
    lineinfile:
      path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config      create: true
      regexp: (?i)^\s*IgnoreUserKnownHosts\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*IgnoreUserKnownHosts\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*IgnoreUserKnownHosts\s+
      line: IgnoreUserKnownHosts yes
      state: present
      insertbefore: BOF
      validate: /usr/sbin/sshd -t -f %s
  when: ansible_virtualization_type not in ["docker", "lxc", "openvz", "podman", "container"]
  tags:
  - NIST-800-171-3.1.12
  - NIST-800-53-AC-17(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-6(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(a)
  - NIST-800-53-CM-7(b)
  - low_complexity
  - low_disruption
  - medium_severity
  - no_reboot_needed
  - restrict_strategy
  - sshd_disable_user_known_hosts

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

if [ -e "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" ] ; then
    
    LC_ALL=C sed -i "/^\s*IgnoreUserKnownHosts\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' "IgnoreUserKnownHosts yes" > "/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

Disable SSH Support for User Known Hosts

Description

Rationale

Remediation - Ansible

Remediation - Shell Script