Title

RHEL 9 must disable core dumps for all users. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

A core dump includes a memory image taken at the time the operating system terminates an application. The memory image could contain sensitive data and is generally useful only for developers trying to debug problems.

Check Content

Verify RHEL 9 disables core dumps for all users by issuing the following command: $ grep -r -s core /etc/security/limits.conf /etc/security/limits.d/*.conf /etc/security/limits.conf:* hard core 0 This can be set as a global domain (with the * wildcard) but may be set differently for multiple domains. If the "core" item is missing, commented out, or the value is anything other than "0" and the need for core dumps is not documented with the information system security officer (ISSO) as an operational requirement for all domains that have the "core" item assigned, this is a finding.

Fix Text

Configure the operating system to disable core dumps for all users. Add the following line to the top of the /etc/security/limits.conf or in a single ".conf" file defined in /etc/security/limits.d/: * hard core 0

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-257814r925429_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-257814

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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