Check: RHEL-09-252020
RHEL 9 STIG:
RHEL-09-252020
(in versions v1 r3 through v1 r1)
Title
RHEL 9 must securely compare internal information system clocks at least every 24 hours. (Cat II impact)
Discussion
Inaccurate time stamps make it more difficult to correlate events and can lead to an inaccurate analysis. Determining the correct time a particular event occurred on a system is critical when conducting forensic analysis and investigating system events. Sources outside the configured acceptable allowance (drift) may be inaccurate. Synchronizing internal information system clocks provides uniformity of time stamps for information systems with multiple system clocks and systems connected over a network. Depending on the infrastructure being used the "pool" directive may not be supported. Authoritative time sources include the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) time servers, a time server designated for the appropriate DOD network (NIPRNet/SIPRNet), and/or the Global Positioning System (GPS). Satisfies: SRG-OS-000355-GPOS-00143, SRG-OS-000356-GPOS-00144, SRG-OS-000359-GPOS-00146
Check Content
Verify RHEL 9 is securely comparing internal information system clocks at least every 24 hours with an NTP server with the following commands: $ sudo grep maxpoll /etc/chrony.conf server 0.us.pool.ntp.mil iburst maxpoll 16 If the "maxpoll" option is set to a number greater than 16 or the line is commented out, this is a finding. Verify the "chrony.conf" file is configured to an authoritative DOD time source by running the following command: $ sudo grep -i server /etc/chrony.conf server 0.us.pool.ntp.mil If the parameter "server" is not set or is not set to an authoritative DOD time source, this is a finding.
Fix Text
Configure RHEL 9 to securely compare internal information system clocks at least every 24 hours with an NTP server by adding/modifying the following line in the /etc/chrony.conf file. server [ntp.server.name] iburst maxpoll 16
Additional Identifiers
Rule ID: SV-257945r925822_rule
Vulnerability ID: V-257945
Group Title: SRG-OS-000355-GPOS-00143
Expert Comments
CCIs
| Number | Definition |
|---|---|
| CCI-001890 |
The information system records time stamps for audit records that can be mapped to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). |
| CCI-001891 |
The information system compares internal information system clocks on an organization-defined frequency with an organization-defined authoritative time source. |
| CCI-002046 |
The information system synchronizes the internal system clocks to the authoritative time source when the time difference is greater than the organization-defined time period. |