Title

The ESXi host must verify the DCUI.Access list. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Lockdown mode disables direct host access, requiring that administrators manage hosts from vCenter Server. However, if a host becomes isolated from vCenter, the administrator is locked out and can no longer manage the host. The "DCUI.Access" advanced setting allows specified users to exit lockdown mode in such a scenario. If the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) is running in strict lockdown mode, this setting is ineffective.

Check Content

For environments that do not use vCenter server to manage ESXi, this is not applicable. From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters. Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Select the "DCUI.Access" value and verify only the root user is listed. or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command: Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name DCUI.Access and verify it is set to root. If the "DCUI.Access" is not restricted to "root", this is a finding. Note: This list is only for local user accounts and should only contain the root user.

Fix Text

From the vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters. Select the ESXi Host >> Configure >> System >> Advanced System Settings. Click "Edit". Select the "DCUI.Access" value and configure it to "root". or From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host, run the following command: Get-VMHost | Get-AdvancedSetting -Name DCUI.Access | Set-AdvancedSetting -Value "root"

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-256376r959010_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-256376

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-VMM-002000

Expert Comments

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