Title

Websphere MQ switch profiles must be properly defined to the MQADMIN class. (Cat I impact)

Discussion

WebSphere MQ resources allow for the control of administrator functions, connections, commands, queues, processes, and namelists. Some resources provide the ability to disable or bypass security checking. Failure to properly protect WebSphere MQ resources may result in unauthorized access. This exposure could compromise the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of system services, applications, and customer data.

Check Content

a) Refer to the following report produced by the z/OS Data Collection: - MQSRPT(ssid) NOTE: ssid is the queue manager name (a.k.a., subsystem identifier). Automated Analysis requires Additional Analysis. Automated Analysis Refer to the following report produced by the z/OS Data Collection: - PDI(ZWMQ0051) b) Review the Security switches identified in response to the DISPLAY SECURITY command in each ssid report(s). If the all of the following switches specify ON, there is NO FINDING. SUBSYSTEM CONNECTION COMMAND CONTEXT ALTERNATE USER PROCESS NAMELIST QUEUE COMMAND RESOURCES c) If SUBSYSTEM specifies OFF, this is a FINDING with a severity of Category I. d) If any of the other above switches specify OFF (other than the exception mentioned below), this is a FINDING downgrade the severity to a Category II. e) If COMMAND RESOURCE Security switch specify OFF, there is NO FINDING. NOTE: At the discretion of the IAO, COMMAND RESOURCE Security switch may specify OFF, by defining ssid.NO.CMD.RESC.CHECKS in the MQADMIN resource class.

Fix Text

Switch profiles are special WebSphere MQ profiles that are used to turn on/off security checking for a type of resource. Due to the security exposure this creates, no profiles with the first two qualifiers of ssid.NO will be defined to the MQADMIN class, with one exception. Due to the fact that (1) all sensitive WebSphere MQ commands are restricted to queue managers, channel initiators, and designated systems personnel, and (2) no command resource checking is performed on DISPLAY commands, at the discretion of the IAO a ssid.NO.CMD.RESC.CHECKS switch profile may be defined to the MQADMIN class. 1. Identify if any switch profile permissions exist using the sample TSS command: TSS WHOHAS MQADMIN(ssid.NO) 2. Use the "TSS REVOKE(acid) MQADMIN(ssid.NO)" to revoke the permission.

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-7539r3_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-6960

Group Title: ZWMQ0051

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

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