Title

The application must use multifactor (e.g., CAC, Alt. Token) authentication for local access to nonprivileged accounts. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

To assure accountability, prevent unauthenticated access, and prevent misuse of the system, privileged users must utilize multifactor authentication (MFA) for local access. MFA is defined as using two or more factors to achieve authentication. Factors include: (i) Something a user knows (e.g., password/PIN); (ii) Something a user has (e.g., cryptographic identification device, token); or (iii) Something a user is (e.g., biometric). A nonprivileged account is defined as an information system account with authorizations of a regular or nonprivileged user. Local access is defined as access to an organizational information system by a user (or process acting on behalf of a user) communicating through a direct connection without the use of a network. Applications integrating with the DOD Active Directory and utilize the DOD CAC are examples of compliant multifactor authentication solutions.

Check Content

Review the application documentation and interview the application administrator to identify application access methods. If the application is not PKI-enabled due to the hosted data being publicly releasable, this check is Not Applicable. Ask the application administrator to log on to the application. Have the application admin use their nonprivileged credentials. Validate the application prompts the user to provide a certificate from the CAC. Validate the application requests the user to input their CAC PIN. If the application allows access without requiring a CAC or Alt. Token, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure the application to require CAC or Alt. Token authentication for nonprivileged network access.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-222528r1015694_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-222528

Group Title: SRG-APP-000152

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

Controls tied to check. These are derived from the CCIs shown above.