Virtual machines (VMs) must remove unneeded floppy devices.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-258722	VMCH-80-000209	SV-258722r933227_rule		Medium

Description
Ensure no device is connected to a virtual machine if it is not required. For example, floppy, serial, and parallel ports are rarely used for virtual machines in a data center environment, and CD/DVD drives are usually connected only temporarily during software installation.

STIG	Date
VMware vSphere 8.0 Virtual Machine Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-10-11

Details

Check Text ( C-62462r933225_chk )
Floppy drives are no longer visible through the vSphere Client and must be done via the Application Programming Interface (API) or PowerCLI. From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host or vCenter server, run the following command: Get-VM | Get-FloppyDrive | Select Parent, Name, ConnectionState If a virtual machine has a floppy drive connected, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-62371r933226_fix)
Floppy drives are no longer visible through the vSphere Client and must be done via the Application Programming Interface (API) or PowerCLI. The VM must be powered off to remove a floppy drive. From a PowerCLI command prompt while connected to the ESXi host or vCenter server, run the following command: Get-VM "VM Name" | Get-FloppyDrive | Remove-FloppyDrive