Check: AOSX-10-000035
Apple OS X 10-10 Workstation STIG:
AOSX-10-000035
(in versions v1 r5 through v1 r4)
Title
The operating system must implement DoD-approved encryption to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions. (Cat I impact)
Discussion
The 'rexec' service must be disabled. The 'rexec' service does not implement crypto and has had several security vulnerabilities in the past. It is disabled by default; enabling it would increase the attack surface of the system. Without confidentiality protection mechanisms, unauthorized individuals may gain access to sensitive information via a remote access session. Remote access is access to DoD non-public information systems by an authorized user (or an information system) communicating through an external, non-organization-controlled network. Remote access methods include, for example, dial-up, broadband, and wireless. Encryption provides a means to secure the remote connection to prevent unauthorized access to the data traversing the remote access connection (e.g., RDP) thereby providing a degree of confidentiality. The encryption strength of mechanism is selected based on the security categorization of the information.
Check Content
To check if the 'rexec' service is disabled, use the following command: sudo launchctl print-disabled system | grep com.apple.rexecd If the results do not show the following: "com.apple.rexecd" => true this is a finding.
Fix Text
To disable the 'rexec' service, run the following command: sudo launchctl disable system/com.apple.rexecd The system may need to be restarted for the update to take effect.
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-73959r1_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-59529
Group Title:
Expert Comments
CCIs
Number | Definition |
---|---|
CCI-000068 |
The information system implements cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions. |
Controls
Number | Title |
---|---|
AC-17 (2) |
Protection Of Confidentiality / Integrity Using Encryption |