Guide to the Secure Configuration of Debian release 8 (Jessie)

with profile Profile for ANSSI DAT-NT28 Minimal Level
This profile contains items to be applied systematically.

This guide presents a catalog of security-relevant configuration settings for Debian release 8 (Jessie) formatted in the eXtensible Configuration Checklist Description Format (XCCDF).

Providing system administrators with such guidance informs them how to securely configure systems under their control in a variety of network roles. Policy makers and baseline creators can use this catalog of settings, with its associated references to higher-level security control catalogs, in order to assist them in security baseline creation. This guide is a catalog, not a checklist, and satisfaction of every item is not likely to be possible or sensible in many operational scenarios. However, the XCCDF format enables granular selection and adjustment of settings, and their association with OVAL and OCIL content provides an automated checking capability. Transformations of this document, and its associated automated checking content, are capable of providing baselines that meet a diverse set of policy objectives. Some example XCCDF Profiles, which are selections of items that form checklists and can be used as baselines, are available with this guide. They can be processed, in an automated fashion, with tools that support the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP).
Do not attempt to implement any of the settings in this guide without first testing them in a non-operational environment. The creators of this guidance assume no responsibility whatsoever for its use by other parties, and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about its quality, reliability, or any other characteristic.
Profile TitleProfile for ANSSI DAT-NT28 Minimal Level
Profile IDxccdf_org.ssgproject.content_profile_anssi_np_nt28_minimal

Revision History

Current version: 0.1.30

  • draft (as of 2016-06-27)

Platforms

  • cpe:/o:debianproject:debian:8

Table of Contents

  1. System
    1. Verify Permissions on Important Files and Directories
  2. Service management
    1. Deprecated services

Checklist

contains 8 rules

Systemgroup

contains 4 rules

Verify Permissions on Important Files and Directoriesgroup

Permissions for many files on a system must be set restrictively to ensure sensitive information is properly protected. This section discusses important permission restrictions which can be verified to ensure that no harmful discrepancies have arisen.

contains 4 rules
contains 4 rules

Verify Permissions and ownership on shadow Filerule

To properly set the permissions of /etc/shadow, run the command:

$ sudo chmod 0640 /etc/shadow
To properly set the owner of /etc/shadow, run the command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/shadow
To properly set the group owner of /etc/shadow, run the command:
$ sudo chgrp shadow /etc/shadow

Rationale:

The /etc/shadow file contains the list of local system accounts and stores password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security. Failure to give ownership of this file to root provides the designated owner with access to sensitive information which could weaken the system security posture.

Verify Permissions and ownership on gshadow Filerule

To properly set the permissions of /etc/gshadow, run the command:

$ sudo chmod 0640 /etc/gshadow
To properly set the owner of /etc/gshadow, run the command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/gshadow
To properly set the group owner of /etc/gshadow, run the command:
$ sudo chgrp shadow /etc/gshadow

Rationale:

The /etc/shadow file contains group password hashes. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

Verify Permissions and ownership on passwd Filerule

To properly set the permissions of /etc/passwd, run the command:

$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd
To properly set the owner of /etc/passwd, run the command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/passwd
To properly set the group owner of /etc/passwd, run the command:
$ sudo chgrp root /etc/passwd

Rationale:

The /etc/shadow file contains information about the users that are configured on the system. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

Verify Permissions and ownership on group Filerule

To properly set the permissions of /etc/passwd, run the command:

$ sudo chmod 0644 /etc/passwd
To properly set the owner of /etc/passwd, run the command:
$ sudo chown root /etc/passwd
To properly set the group owner of /etc/passwd, run the command:
$ sudo chgrp root /etc/passwd

Rationale:

The /etc/shadow file contains information about the groups that are configured on the system. Protection of this file is critical for system security.

Service managementgroup

The following sections contain information on security-relevant choices about software services that may be installed or blacklisted on your system.

contains 4 rules

Deprecated servicesgroup

Some deprecated software services impact the overall system security due to their behavior (leak of confidentiality in network exchange, usage as uncontrolled communication channel, risk associated with the service due to its old age, etc.

contains 4 rules

Uninstall the telnet serverrule

The telnet daemon should be uninstalled.

Rationale:

telnet allows clear text communications, and does not protect any data transmission between client and server. Any confidential data can be listened and no integrity checking is made.

Remediation script:
# CAUTION: This remediation script will remove telnetd
#	   from the system, and may remove any packages
#	   that depend on telnetd. Execute this
#	   remediation AFTER testing on a non-production
#	   system!

apt-get remove --purge telnetd

Uninstall the inet-based telnet serverrule

The inet-based telnet daemon should be uninstalled.

Rationale:

telnet allows clear text communications, and does not protect any data transmission between client and server. Any confidential data can be listened and no integrity checking is made.

Remediation script:
# CAUTION: This remediation script will remove inetutils-telnetd
#	   from the system, and may remove any packages
#	   that depend on inetutils-telnetd. Execute this
#	   remediation AFTER testing on a non-production
#	   system!

apt-get remove --purge inetutils-telnetd

Uninstall the ssl compliant telnet serverrule

The telnet daemon, even with ssl support, should be uninstalled.

Rationale:

telnet, even with ssl support, should not be installed. When remote shell is required, up-to-date ssh daemon can be used.

identifiers:  CCE-

references:  AC-17(8), CM-7, NT007(R02)

Remediation script:
# CAUTION: This remediation script will remove telnetd-ssl
#	   from the system, and may remove any packages
#	   that depend on telnetd-ssl. Execute this
#	   remediation AFTER testing on a non-production
#	   system!

apt-get remove --purge telnetd-ssl

Uninstall the nis packagerule

The support for Yellowpages should not be installed unless it is required.

Rationale:

NIS is the historical SUN service for central account management, more and more replaced by LDAP. NIS does not support efficiently security constraints, ACL, etc. and should not be used.

identifiers:  CCE-

Remediation script:
# CAUTION: This remediation script will remove nis
#	   from the system, and may remove any packages
#	   that depend on nis. Execute this
#	   remediation AFTER testing on a non-production
#	   system!

apt-get remove --purge nis
SCAP security guide for Debian - release 1