Cookies exchanged between the Apache web server and the client, such as session cookies, must have cookie properties set to force the encryption of cookies.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-214303	AS24-U2-000890	SV-214303r881521_rule		Medium

Description
Cookies can be sent to a client using TLS/SSL to encrypt the cookies, but TLS/SSL is not used by every hosted application since the data being displayed does not require the encryption of the transmission. To safeguard against cookies, especially session cookies, being sent in plaintext, a cookie can be encrypted before transmission. To force a cookie to be encrypted before transmission, the cookie "Secure" property can be set.

Description

Cookies can be sent to a client using TLS/SSL to encrypt the cookies, but TLS/SSL is not used by every hosted application since the data being displayed does not require the encryption of the transmission. To safeguard against cookies, especially session cookies, being sent in plaintext, a cookie can be encrypted before transmission. To force a cookie to be encrypted before transmission, the cookie "Secure" property can be set.

STIG	Date
Apache Server 2.4 UNIX Site Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-06-06

Details

Check Text ( C-15516r881519_chk )
In a command line, run "httpd -M \| grep -i session_cookie_module". If "session_cookie_module" is not listed, this is a finding. Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file: # apachectl -V \| egrep -i 'httpd_root\|server_config_file' -D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd" -D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf" Note: The apachectl front end is the preferred method for locating the Apache httpd file. For some Linux distributions "apache2ctl -V" or "httpd -V" can also be used. Search for the "Session" and "SessionCookieName" directives: # cat //httpd.conf \| grep -i "Session" # cat //httpd.conf \| grep -i "SessionCookieName" If "Session" is not "on" and "SessionCookieName" does not contain "httpOnly" and "secure", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-15516r881519_chk )

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

If "session_cookie_module" is not listed, this is a finding.

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

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

Note: The apachectl front end is the preferred method for locating the Apache httpd file. For some Linux distributions "apache2ctl -V" or "httpd -V" can also be used.

Search for the "Session" and "SessionCookieName" directives:

# cat //httpd.conf | grep -i "Session"
# cat //httpd.conf | grep -i "SessionCookieName"

If "Session" is not "on" and "SessionCookieName" does not contain "httpOnly" and "secure", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-15514r881520_fix)
Determine the location of the "HTTPD_ROOT" directory and the "httpd.conf" file: # apachectl -V \| egrep -i 'httpd_root\|server_config_file' -D HTTPD_ROOT="/etc/httpd" -D SERVER_CONFIG_FILE="conf/httpd.conf" Set "Session" to "on". Ensure the "SessionCookieName" directive includes "httpOnly" and "secure".