Only authenticated system administrators or the designated PKI Sponsor for the Apache web server must have access to the Apache web servers private key.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214287	AS24-U2-000390	SV-214287r612241_rule		Medium

Description
The web server's private key is used to prove the identity of the server to clients and securely exchange the shared secret key used to encrypt communications between the web server and clients. By gaining access to the private key, an attacker can pretend to be an authorized server and decrypt the SSL traffic between a client and the web server.

STIG	Date
Apache Server 2.4 UNIX Site Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-12-10

Details

Check Text ( C-15500r612137_chk )
In a command line, run "httpd -M \| grep -i ssl_module". If the "ssl_module" is not enabled, this is a finding. Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file: # httpd -V \| egrep -i 'httpd_root\|server_config_file' -D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd" -D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf" Review the private key path in the "SSLCertificateKeyFile" directive. Verify only authenticated system administrators and the designated PKI Sponsor for the web server can access the web server private key. If the private key is accessible by unauthenticated or unauthorized users, this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-15500r612137_chk )

In a command line, run "httpd -M | grep -i ssl_module".

If the "ssl_module" is not enabled, this is a finding.

Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file:

# httpd -V | egrep -i 'httpd_root|server_config_file'
-D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd"
-D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf"

Review the private key path in the "SSLCertificateKeyFile" directive. Verify only authenticated system administrators and the designated PKI Sponsor for the web server can access the web server private key.

If the private key is accessible by unauthenticated or unauthorized users, this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-15498r612144_fix)
Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file: # httpd -V \| egrep -i 'httpd_root\|server_config_file' -D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd" -D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf" Based on the " SSLCertificateKeyFile" directive path, configure the Apache web server to ensure only authenticated and authorized users can access the web server's private key.